1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136 
Adonis admits 'no chance' of action on some roads
Page 11
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
TRANSPORT MINISTER Lord Adonis (shown right) has admitted that there are stretches of road in the UK for which the Department for Transport (WI.) is unable to authorise improvements, no matter how pressing the need from a safety point of view.
The admission came during a heated exchange between Adonis and David Clelland, MP for Tyne Bridge. in a Transport Select Committee inquiry into the performance of the DfT over safety issues on the Al between Newcastle and Edinburgh.
Clelland accused the 1-NT of not meeting its commitment to the safety of all road users by not giving the road priority for upgrading and dualling. He cited North Northumberland coroner Tony Brown, who described the stretch of road as "the weakest link in the UK road network" following the death of two drivers.
He said the local authority responsible for the stretch of the Al [Northumberland County Council] did not have sufficient resources to spend improving the road in isolation to other regional demands" and that "people would die as a result': Adonis insisted that the matter was the responsibility of the local authority He added: "This is an issue about what this road should be and if it should be part of the strategic road network.
"I have to say if it became part of the strategic road network. the re would be intense competition for resources.
"I would not want people in the North-East to think there is a pot of gold in transferring the road from local authority control to the strategic road network. It would face stiff competition,he stressed.
However, a Northumberland County Council spokeswoman tells CM that: "The Al always has
been and continues to be the responsibility of the DfT and the Highways Agency."
The DfT responded by saying that the stretch of road is the responsibility of the HA, but that any major improvements would need to be brought forward by the region through the Regional Development Agency.
Adonis defended the efforts made by the government to improve the Al. citing a .027m investment ir upgrading the Al south of Newcas. tle as a "significant investment corning direct from the government':
• See comment, page 3