ROADS minister Andrew Jones got first hand experience of the perils of the A69 on Monday, when he drove his car the length of the Tyne Valley.

And campaigners, including Hexham’s MP Guy Opperman, hope he will have seen enough to convince him the death trap trunk road should be upgraded to dual carriageway status.

Earlier this year the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced a £500,000 feasibility study is to be carried out on dualling either the A69 of the A66 further south – or possibly both – as part of the Northern Powerhouse initiative.

Mr Opperman welcomed Mr Jones to Tynedale on Monday, and said the study on dualling the A69 was the first stage to getting improvements under way.

He said: “It was great for Andrew to be able to see the road for himself.

“The A69 is largely single carriageway west of Hexham, and we need to see an improvement to road safety in many ways.

“The road has seen too many crashes and is holding back the economic potential of places like Haltwhistle.”

Mr Opperman has repeatedly met and lobbied the Chancellor, along with his Cumbrian colleagues, to specifically discuss the A69.

He said “The A69 is a key arterial route connecting east and west across the north. It is dualled between Newcastle and Hexham, but thereafter it is all too often a dangerous stretch of single-track road, with occasional passing points.

“Longer term I would like to see the road dualled and hopefully in the shorter term I would like to see some safety improvements.”

Haltwhistle’s county councillor Ian Hutchinson, who has been working with the MP on the campaign to dual the road, said it is vitally important the road is improved.

He said: “There are far too many accidents on the A69 and dualling it would not only make it safer, but it would help boost the economy of places like Haltwhistle and Haydon Bridge too.

”I am very pleased the minister came to see the road for himself and is listening to our community.”

The following day, Mr Opperman held meetings with councillors calling for road safety improvements on the A69 at Bardon Mill and Henshaw.

They want the existing 60mph speed limit on the trunk road reduced to 40mph, along a two mile stretch of the road, which includes 11 junctions, a garage and a cafe, and is a popular crossing point for dog walkers and other residents.

And following the site meeting members of both Bardon Mill and Henshaw parish councils are to meet with representatives of Highways England – formerly the Highways Agency – next Tuesday.

The campaign has gathered pace over the past year, and at Monday’s meeting of Henshaw Parish Council, the results of a residential survey were revealed.

More than three quarters of respondents found the A69 unsafe to cross on foot, while motorists claimed it was difficult to negotiate the junctions along the busy stretch.

And according to the survey, 78 per cent of respondents claimed to witness dangerous driving on a regular basis.

One respondent said: “The traffic seems to have increased dramatically. The road splits the village in half and is very dangerous for those who regularly walk or ride horses around the area.”

Another said: “Crossing the road on foot usually involves a considerable wait for a safe break in the flow of fast traffic.“

Parish clerk Michael Smith thanked all residents who took part in the survey, and said the site meetings with Mr Opperman, and Highways England demonstrated the strength of the campaign for road safety improvements.