Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor, has worked with leaders from across the North to agree a 30-year plan to transform the region’s transport infrastructure.
Transport for the North’s draft Strategic Transport Plan will outline seven rail and road “corridors” where improvements are needed and call for investment to meet the upgrades.
Mayor Houchen and LEP Chair Paul Booth are members of the Transport for the North Board and have been pushing for Tees Valley Combined Authority’s ambitious schemes to overhaul travelling across the North, ensuring Tees Valley’s key priorities are a full part of this strategy.
It is expected to include vital upgrades to Darlington and Middlesbrough stations, improvements to the A19 and A66, and expansion of freight routes from the River Tees to markets across the UK including the Northern Bypass link road in Darlington.
Transport for the North will be revealing the full details of the scheme with the Tees Valley Mayor at Darlington railway station early in the new year. Following the launch, the draft plan will be subject to a 13-week public consultation and later submitted to the Government for consideration.
Ben Houchen said: “The residents of Tees Valley deserve the best transport links possible, whether commuting to work, for daily life or exploring all that the area has to offer.
“Working with Transport for the North, I have fought to ensure the voices of local people have been heard and their concerns met, to allow the Tees Valley to flourish both for those that live and work in the region and as a tourist destination to be proud of.”
Paul Booth, Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership Chairman, said: “Modern transport connections across the region are imperative for businesses to function and for the area to see successful economic growth.
“Transport for the North’s proposals would give the region a solid basis to attract new inward investment and help companies that call the region home maximise their potential.”
