[D]rivers using a key Lake District tourist route are to benefit from a £1.5 million Highways England resurfacing project.
Both carriageways along a 1.5 mile section of the A66 between Keswick and Penrith are being resurfaced in a 2 month scheme which starts this week, giving tourists, businesses and other road users, safer and smoother journeys into and out of the Lake District.
The work, between Threlkeld and Scales, will start on Thursday (11 January) and is due to be completed by Sunday 25 March.
Highways England project manager William Paterson said: “This work forms part of our necessary routine maintenance of the A66 but it’s important to get it done before the main tourist season gets underway in the spring. Parts of the carriageway need some re-building so at times during the work we will need to close the road overnight to get on with the deeper resurfacing work.”
For safety reasons, a temporary 40mph speed limit will be in place around the clock and temporary traffic lights will occasionally be needed during the day.
Overnight work – between 7pm and 6am – will require a combination of temporary traffic lights and occasional convoy working where drivers may need to be held at the temporary traffic lights and led past the road works at 10mph by a contractor’s vehicle.
From Sunday 11 February there will be nightly – 8pm to 6am – closures of both carriageways between the Threlkeld and Walthwaite junctions. Clearly-signed diversion routes will be in place.
