Mayor warns A1 safety improvements 'don't go far enough' and calls for dualling
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has told the Government planned safety improvements on the A1 in Northumberland ‘don’t go far enough’. It comes after five people died in two accidents in the space of nine days.
Labour Mayor Ms McGuinness and Conservative Northumberland County Council leader Glen Sanderson have sent a joint letter to the Transport Secretary calling for urgent action on the road.
Data shows there have been 173 fatal collisions on the A1 in Northumberland between 1978 and 2026, the majority of which came on the single carriageway sections.
Officials say many fatalities have involved vehicles crossing into opposing traffic lanes or manoeuvring at junctions.
Cllr Sanderson and Ms McGuinness are seeking a meeting with Secretary of State Heidi Alexander to discuss “growing concerns” around the lack of dual carriageway and over capacity.
The Mayor said: “We urgently need action to dual the A1 – too many lives are sadly being lost and we need a solution to make the road safer for residents and road users. While safety improvements have been committed to which we welcome, it doesn’t go far enough and we have told Government this – the road must be dualled so we can avoid more tragic deaths on the A1.
“We have sadly seen more fatalities in the last few weeks which is heart-breaking and this has been a problem for far too long. The North East deserves investment to resolve this for good and keep people safe – we all know it needs to be dualled and I’ll continue to fight for what our region needs.”
The Government has said it is committed to carrying out safety improvements on the A1 in the county. Timescales for this work have yet to be revealed.
Concerns on the A1 centre around safety, but there are also issues around congestion and traffic using surrounding roads and villages as “rat runs” to avoid queues.
Cllr Sanderson said: “Because of the really significant growth in business and tourism in the county, the road is unable to cope with the levels of traffic it now sees, resulting in it coming to a halt in a number of locations, and many drivers driving through our towns and villages trying to find alternative routes.
“However, our main concern is around the safety compromise that inevitably takes place when a road slips between dual and single carriageway. Over many years this has resulted in high levels of death and serious injury, bringing untold grief.
“In the last two weeks alone, we have seen five people killed on the road and more seriously injured – that is absolutely tragic and totally unacceptable. While we understand that some local safety schemes are underway, these will not help remedy the key issues of overcapacity and lack of dual carriageway.
“Working with the Mayor, our own councillors and the county’s MPs, we want to put party politics aside and enter a discussion with Government around reviewing the decision not to dual this key road.”