First upgrades secured for A1 in over a decade
David Smith has welcomed planned improvements to the A1.
Securing sensible safety improvements for the A1 has been a top priority
First upgrades secured for A1 in over a decade
After a lot of hard work, I am delighted to welcome planned improvements to the A1, with our Labour Government confirming the first significant safety improvements to the road in over a decade.
Targeted interventions at key junctions will be delivered along the 50-mile stretch of the A1 between Morpeth and the Scottish Border, as well as improved signage, markings, road barriers and lighting.
The improvements were outlined the Road Investment Strategy 3, announced by the Department for Transport on March 26.
These are the first strategic improvements to the A1 in North Northumberland in over ten years. Securing sensible safety improvements for the road throughout North Northumberland has been one of my top priorities since my election. I’ve been working relentlessly to make the case to Government, and I am delighted they are listening.
Improving safety on stretch between Morpeth and Scottish border
After a number of extensive meetings with me and my team, and a tour of the road to highlight problem spots, National Highways developed route‑treatment options for the full length of the A1 between Morpeth and the Scottish border last year. This now means that improvements will be considered for high-risk areas along the entire stretch of the A1 through North Northumberland.
Plans to dual the A1 between Morpeth and Ellingham were announced by the Conservative Government in 2014 but never materialised, and all work on the road was paused during this period.
David added: “While dualling is the ultimate goal, it won’t be happening in the short term. Dualling is also not a silver bullet. Sadly, many accidents happen on sections of the A1 that are already dualled and my heart sinks with news of every crash.
Just the start of fighting for upgrades
Instead of dangling the promises of dualling I want to make the A1 as safe as it can be – my constituents deserve nothing less, which is why I have been fighting tooth and nail to secure sensible safely upgrades between Berwick and Morpeth.
This is just the start. I will now begin making the case for further improvements under the upcoming Road Investment Strategy 4 scheme.
The A1 is one of a group of roads identified for improvement as part of this generational programme. Millions of drivers in the North East and Yorkshire are set for smoother, safer journeys as the Government committed over £2 billion to upgrade and future-proof roads in the region.
Fixing years of decay in North Northumberland infrastructure
After years of decline and underinvestment, Labour is fixing the foundations and investing £8.4 billion to repairing and renewing England’s motorways and major A-roads before problems arise, so drivers can have faith in a world-class road network once again.
This huge investment will fund major schemes that unlock growth and improve connectivity across the country and allow NH to resurface over 9,000 kilometres worth of motorway and major A-road lanes – almost a quarter of the network.
National Highways aims to deliver improvements across 2026-2027. It will now undertake further design and development work before outlining detailed plans.
Press coverage
Junction safety works on the A1 in Northumberland announced by the Government
After a lot of hard work, I am delighted to welcome planned improvements to the A1, with our Labour Government confirming the first significant safety improvements to the road in over a decade.
-David Smith
MP for North Northumberland
