THE Highways Agency is spending more than £1.2m to deliver smoother journeys for drivers using the A66 with two projects around Keswick and Appleby starting before Christmas.

A £631,000 project which involves resurfacing a mile-long stretch of the route between Keswick and Crosthwaite Roundabout started yesterday and should be completed by Saturday January 18.

The second, £588,000 project, to resurface a two mile section of the A66 between Warcop training area and the western end of Brough bypass, will begin on Monday and should be completed by Sunday February 2.

While both projects will start before Christmas no work will be taking place over the Christmas and new year holiday period when the Highways Agency lifts roadworks to give drivers smoother journeys over the festive period. Work will stop at both sites before Friday December 20 and not resume until Monday January 6.

Both projects include refreshing road markings, installing new road studs and repairs to kerbs and drainage.

At Keswick the resurfacing work will be done between 8pm and 6am only with the drainage, kerb and joint repairs carried out during off-peak periods between 9.30am and 3.30pm.

Both the eastbound and westbound carriageway will benefit from the project but, as this is a single carriageway section of the A66, temporary traffic signals will be in place during most of the overnight and daytime working periods. During the overnight work drivers can also expect to be occasionally held at the lights and guided past the roadworks at 10mph in convoys led by a contractor's vehicle. Otherwise a 40mph speed limit will be in place.

The work at Appleby will be done between 8pm and 6am only with the drainage and kerb repairs carried out during daytime off-peak periods between 9.30am and 3.30pm. Traffic will be managed past the roadworks by temporary traffic signals – although no signals will be allowed before 8pm on Mondays or Fridays.

Highways Agency project sponsor Peter Gee said: “These projects will help provide safer and smoother journeys for users of the A66 around Keswick and Appleby with new, quieter road surfaces, clearer road markings and improved drainage.

“We have timed the work carefully to avoid the main tourist season and scheduled the repairs to take place outside peak hours to avoid disrupting other road users’ journeys.

“Drivers travelling overnight should leave extra time to complete journeys.”