No Tees crossing 'for at least 12 years'
LDRSThere would be at least a 12-year wait and currently a £700m cost for any new A19 road crossing over the River Tees, the local regional mayor has said.
The government would need to fund the scheme "but that's not happening any time soon because they've just massively cut all the road budgets", Tees Mayor Ben Houchen said.
The Department for Transport has no current plans for a completely new Tees crossing under its Road Investment Strategy (RIS), which runs into the next decade.
But a spokesperson said: "Claims we have turned our back on road investment in the region simply don't stack up. Our previous road investment strategy saw £250m invested into the A19 across the North East."
Houchen said the "feasible" option for the A19 over the Tees would be to fix the existing flyover and make it northbound only, with a new bridge to serve as the southbound carriageway.
He said cost estimates now stand at £700m which Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) does not have for such a project, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The government said it reviewed suggested road schemes to focus on those that offered value for money and were practically deliverable and a new Tees crossing did not make the cut.
Houchen claimed RIS3 – the next period of the government's road investment strategy – has seen its budget slashed, and, because of the wait for any future change of the decision added to construction time, it would be 12 years before any crossing opened "if you're lucky".
The government argued RIS3 was focused on fixing worn out assets rather than building new roads, with £27bn funding for the strategic road network between 2026 and 2031.
The spokesperson said Department for Transport recognised the scheme was a priority for TVCA, however a new Tees crossing was also not currently included in schemes for consideration under RIS4 which will relate to years after 2031.
