A66 upgrade: Preferred route announced

The proposals would see Kirkby Thore, in Cumbria, bypassed by a dual carriageway

Plans to upgrade the A66 between Cumbria and Yorkshire have moved forward with the announcement of the preferred route.

It would see the dualling of a 50-mile (80km) section of single carriageway between Penrith and Scotch Corner.

Highways England said the scheme would speed up journeys and make the route "fit for the rest of the century".

Transport for the North welcomed the proposals and said the upgrades were "absolutely essential".

Five bypasses would be constructed and an underpass built at the Kemplay Bank roundabout near Penrith to reduce congestion.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "Upgrading this vital national link will not only level up infrastructure in the region but will deliver benefits up and down the country - supporting tourism and movement between our key ports."

Peter Molyneux, major roads director at Transport for the North, described the project as "another piece in the jigsaw" to improve transport connections in the area.

"Upgrades to the A66 are absolutely essential to improve connections and experience, as the people that regularly use it will attest," he said.

The plans will be further developed and a second public consultation staged next year.