DARLINGTON NORTHERN NOV LINK ROAD 2020 PUBLIC INFORMATION ENGAGEMENT Foreword The need for improvement Ever since I was elected Mayor of the Tees within Tees Valley to other city regions and the The Darlington Northern Link Road (DNLR) is a Valley in 2017, I have always been looking rest of the UK. proposed new road between the A66/A1150 Little Burdon junction and A1(M) Junction 59. It will link the at ways to improve the region, making it The Darlington Northern Link Road will improve Tees Valley, including key assets such as Teesport, an even better place for the people who the route from the A1(M) to Teesport, improving Teesworks and Teesside International Airport, live here and the businesses that call journey times, reliability and resilience. This will with the A1(M) and beyond. It will also establish support more business, more jobs and more hou Tees Valley Combined Authority has an efficient link between Newton Aycliffe and the Darlington, Teesside or Hartlepool home. sing across the region, and these all-important ambitious plans to grow the local economy. expanding port facilities on the River Tees. improvements will help to clear traffic blackspots We have ambitious plans to grow our economy and that, for too long, have blighted our roadways. The Tees Valley Combined Authority Tees Valley Due to the lack of north facing slip roads at Junction create thousands of local jobs for local people, whether Strategic Economic Plan (2016-2026) identifies a 57 of the A1(M), the local roads A167 and A1150 on the former Redcar Steelworks site, now known This scheme is about improving the lives of key strategic transport and infrastructure priority to are used by traffic travelling from the A66 to/from as Teesworks, or by investing in and supporting the local people. It is still in the design stage so it is “improve east-west road connectivity to provide a the north via the A1(M) and are the signed routes. fantastic small businesses we have. And with my plan important that you have your say on the plans and high quality, resilient corridor along the A66 from However, these local roads, with traffic calming for jobs we are making huge progress in creating the let us know your thoughts. You can find out all the A1(M) to the international gateway at Teesport” features and pedestrian refuges, are unsuitable good-quality, well paid jobs we all want to see come about the scheme, visit the online exhibition room as part of facilitating population and job growth. for high levels of traffic, which includes significant to our region. and feedback via our online survey by visiting numbers of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). www.teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/consultations Transformational improvements to the road An important part of the plan is ensuring we have the network are critical to help us achieve our vision The use of the A167 and A1150 by strategic traffic causes first class transport infrastructure and facilities, whether to provide a high quality, quick, affordable, reliable stress on the local road network in Darlington, negatively that be through a thriving Teesside Airport, upgraded and safe transport network for people and freight impacts residents along these routes and is considered Darlington Station or improvements to our road network. Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor to move within, to and from the Tees Valley. a constraint on development across the Tees Valley. One of these improvements includes better east-west connectivity from the A1(M) to Teesport. The A66 is the main trans-Pennine route north of the M62, connecting the M6, the A1(M) and Teesport. It is a vital part of the Tees Valley road network and connects the key centres Newton Aycliffe Teesport Business Park Teesworks Brafferton A1 Motorway Proposed Darlington Junction 59 Northern Link Road Stockton-on-Tees Middlesbrough A167 Barmpton A1150 Symmetry Park A66 Darlington Morton Park Teesside Airport East Coast Main Line The Darlington Northern Link Road will improve the region's connections onto the Motorway network and support the plans to grow the economy and create jobs 2 Darlington Northern Link Road | Tees Valley Combined Authority Tees Valley Combined Authority | Darlington Northern Link Road 3 Current Issues Scheme Benefits Local Roads are unsuitable for the high levels of traffic and high volumes of HGVs The Darlington Northern Link Road will: ■ Improve the resilience of the road network and reduce the impact of events such as roadworks ■ Improve the environment for residents along the and road traffic accidents A167/A1150 as a result of the reduced traffic volumes ■ Provide an alternative route for all traffic and HGVS ■ Improve safety on the local road network rather than using the local roads through Darlington Traffic flows on the A167/A1150 have HGV ■ Improve journey time reliability to join the A1(M) a higher proportion of Heavy Goods Vehicles than the A66 south of ■ Reduce traffic levels and number of Heavy Goods ■ Connect Tees Valley to the A1(M) and beyond. Darlington, with around 1,500 per day A167/ A1150 7.1% Vehicles on A167/A1150 This will support economic growth for the region by improving access to Teesport and Teesside ■ Improve journey times for those using the new International Airport together with making the Tees A66 SOUTH 4.8% Darlington Northern Link Road and the existing Valley more attractive to investors and visitors A1150/A167 ■ Traffic volumes on the A167/A1150 are comparable to the A66 south The Story so far ■ Current journey times unreliable ■ Delays in peaks periods set to increase if nothing done ■ By 2043, peak period delay will double ⊲ A689/A66 East West Study commissioned by Highways England with TVCA to identify opportunities to improve links between the Tees Valley and the wider road network 2015 ⊲ Highways England study completed identifying the DNLR as a high performing option ⊲ Further work funded by TVCA confirmed DNLR should be progressed ahead of improvements to the existing A66 Local amenities in the vicinity High levels of traffic using A five school Academy is next 2016 ⊲ Six options were originally considered for the northern link road, with the two most viable options taken creates potential conflicts A167/A1150 creates safety to the A1150 meaning there forward for further detailed consideration, these were Route A and Route B between pedestrians and issues with pedestrians are challenges for children to traffic walk and cycle to school ⊲ Department for Transport funded development of Route A and Route B, and Public Information Events held across Tees Valley region 2017 ⊲ Route A announced as TVCA’s preferred route based on feedback from the Public Information events ⊲ Single carriageway alternatives based on Route A developed that would: O Achieve better value for money 2018 O Address concerns raised during the 2017 Public Information Events ⊲ Technical documentation was completed for the single carriageway options considered to date Accident information indicates there are accident clusters along the: 2019 ■ A1150 Whinfield Road ⊲ TVCA funded work to develop and assess the single carriageway options and undertake Public Information ■ A167 through Beaumont Hill and Coatham Mundeville 2020 Events which will conclude with the submission of an Outline Business case in early 2021 with supporting technical information TRAFFIC FLOWS ON THE HGV 4 A167/A1150Darlington HAVE Northern A HIGHER Link Road | Tees Valley Combined Authority Tees Valley Combined Authority | Darlington Northern Link Road 5 PROPORTION OF HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES HGVS THAN THE A66 SOUTH 4.8% A66 SOUTH OF DARLINGTON A167/ A1150 7.1% JOURNEY FROM LITTLE BURDON TO A1M JUNCTION 59 0:10 0:10 OFFPEAK PERIODS 0:1813 0:18 PEAK PERIODS CURRENT JOURNEY TIME WITH DELAYS 2020 IF NOTHING IS DONE BY 2043 What we are proposing What this public engagement is about How the scheme will affect our community Following the 2017 announcement of Route A as the The proposed scheme passes through a largely The potential impacts on farms adjacent to the route as preferred option, the route has been developed to rural environment with a mix of land uses including well as pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians will be fully We are proposing that Darlington Northern minimise the impact on the environment where possible agricultural, industrial, commercial and large scale considered as we develop our proposals. Ensuring that and moved further away from Brafferton in response to residential. There are multiple local access roads access is maintained will be critical to ensure the local Link Road provides a strategic link between concerns raised by local residents. and public rights of way along the line of the community is still connected to the wider area. A66/A1150 Little Burdon junction and A1(M) proposed route which provide commuting links and Junction 59. We want to hear your views on the revised Darlington access for the local community as well as recreational During construction we will seek to minimise disruption Northern Link Road alignment and the options for routes across the area. The proposed scheme has to non-motorised users and ensure appropriate We propose a single carriageway road starting from an the northern tie-in to the A1(M). Your feedback will be the potential to benefit the local community as diversions are in place if required. enlarged, signalised, roundabout at Little Burdon and analysed and used to inform the scheme’s business it reduces congestion on the A167/A1150, as well extending north approximately 7.5km, passing to the case and the next stage of scheme’s design process. as potential improvements to road safety. north east of Barmpton and Brafferton, before forming a new junction arrangement with the A1(M) Junction At this stage our options are not decided, and feedback 59.