Mayor wants to 'get on and deliver' after frustration shared over lack of progress on Tees Crossing project

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen says he wants to “get on and deliver” after one of his own officials admitted frustration over the lack of progress to solve frequent gridlock on the Tees Flyover.

Back in 2020 Mr Houchen committed £24m to a scheme which was to see the creation of a new bridge to carry northbound traffic with the existing viaduct also extended to three lanes and the A66 widened where it joins the A19. But despite support from Conservative ministers at the time, it never got off the drawing board with the overall cost of the scheme estimated at somewhere near half-a-billion pounds.

The mayor had described a “truly transformational” project which was “vital so that the hard-working people of our region can quickly and easily get from A to B” and an “utterly useless” existing flyover, while the North East Chamber of Commerce, which represents the region’s businesses, also lent its backing. Two years later he said he and his team were “banging on doors” to make the project happen and it was something he had “championed” since his first election in 2017.

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Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) director of infrastructure Tom Bryant told a recent meeting that it didn’t have the funds directly to deliver a scheme on its own because the costs were so high. This was in response to a query from Middlesbrough councillor David Branson, a member of the overview and scrutiny committee at TVCA, who asked what was happening with the Tees Crossing project.

Mr Bryant said that for many years “multiple” attempts had been made to build a business case with the Government to address the “pinch point”, but currently the pot for investment in roads nationally was stretched. He said: “Efforts are being made with National Highways to try and identify a cost-effective solution and come up with something which might be more achievable.”

Mr Bryant added: "I share your frustration, Cllr Branson, it is something we want to get sorted and we are trying our best to do so."

Earlier this year Mr Houchen allocated £15m for a piece of work looking at options anew, as part of a proposed £1bn package of transport improvements. But after Chancellor Rachel Reeves complained of a £22bn “black hole” in Government finances after Labour replaced the Tories in June all planned transport improvement projects were placed under review.

Mr Houchen said: “It has been a longstanding ambition to deliver a new A19 crossing which will unlock significant growth opportunities and drive investment and jobs in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.

“Anyone who regularly sits in traffic on either side of the A19 flyover knows it’s well overdue. A total of £15m was allocated in my £1bn transport plan I announced earlier this year to fund work on options for a new A19 crossing.

“We await the outcome of a Department for Transport review of this funding. This crossing is among an extensive and detailed package of measures which will improve transport across our area, which we want to get on and deliver.”

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