Consultation for part of A1 dualling project begins

Northumberland residents are being urged to put forward their views on detailed plans for dualling the A1 between Alnwick and Ellingham.
One of the Alnwick to Ellingham A1 scheme information boards.One of the Alnwick to Ellingham A1 scheme information boards.
One of the Alnwick to Ellingham A1 scheme information boards.

The Highways England consultation for a scheme that will dual around five miles of the important road started today and it will run until Monday, April 8, and anyone with an interest in the route is encouraged to take part.

There will also be a series of public events.

Heavy traffic on part of the single carriageway A1.Heavy traffic on part of the single carriageway A1.
Heavy traffic on part of the single carriageway A1.

In September last year, it was announced that the orange option was the preferred route between Alnwick and Ellingham. It will include a new junction at Charlton Mires.

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Highways England is planning to upgrade sections of single carriageway in Northumberland as part of a £290million investment. The project also includes dualling from Morpeth to Felton.

Project manager Mark Stoneman said: “This is an important time for us because we want people to comment on or raise any concerns about our proposals, so we can either answer their questions to alleviate concerns or look into a particular comment in more detail.

“We are holding four public consultation events across the area that will provide people with an update on the progress we have made since the last consultation in November 2016 and the preferred route announcement, which was made in September 2017.

“They will also provide an opportunity for people to understand the proposals in more detail and provide feedback that we may be able to incorporate into our preliminary design for the scheme.”

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He added that one of two options for an overbridge will be chosen and residents are asked to say if they prefer the Broxfield option or the Heckley Fence option.

Proposals on the section between Morpeth to Felton are progressing and the Development Consent Order, similar to planning permission, is due to be submitted this summer.

Junction improvements north of Ellingham have already started. Work has been completed at Adderstone and work is continuing at Fenham and Outchester. Work is due to start at Old Mousen and Newstead in March.

Six other junctions – Cheswick, Warenford, Station Road, Haggerstone Castle, Purdy Lodge and Fenham Hill – will be started by the end of March 2020.

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People can pick up a hard copy of the consultation brochure and response form at the Willowburn Leisure Centre in Alnwick and Alnwick Library, Amble Library, Wooler Library and WSP (by prior appointment only), Amber Court, William Armstrong Drive, Newcastle, NE4 7YQ. Availability will depend on opening times.

The public events details are as follows. These will include banners, maps and a virtual reality video to give people the opportunity to step into the proposed model.

Rennington Village Hall: Thursday, March 7, 3pm to 8pm, and Saturday, March 16, 10am to 3pm.

Willowburn Leisure Centre: Wednesday, March 20, 3pm to 8pm, and Saturday, March 30, 10am to 4pm.

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Highways England representatives will be at Heighley Gate Garden Centre near Morpeth on Friday between 9am and 11.30am and then between 1pm and 4pm in Alnwick’s main square on the same day to highlight the upcoming consultation events.

The consultation can also be viewed online at https://highwaysengland.citizenspace.com/he/a2e