NORTH-EAST business leaders have welcomed £290m Government road-building plans for the region.

Prime Minister David Cameron has unveiled a £15bn national scheme, which includes including dualling the A1 north of Newcastle to Ellingham, 25 miles south of the Scottish border.

The plans will also see the A19 between Wynyard and Norton, near Stockton, widened to three lanes, with a study into the potential for dualling the A69 and A66 to create a link across the Pennines.

Work could be completed by 2020.

The Civil Engineering Contractors’ Association (North East), which represents 75 contracting firms in the region, said the changes were needed, but called on further ministers to give further details.

Douglas Kell, regional director, said: “While it is excellent news, we shall have to wait for the small print to find out the when and how of the projects.

“It is also unclear whether this is totally new money, or whether it includes money previously promised for some of these schemes that are already under way.

“One instinctively questions speed of intent considering it is more than four decades since dualling of the A1 right through Northumberland was first raised in the Commons.

“There will still be 25 miles yet to be dualled on this key link between England and Scotland and some of the worst bottlenecks are on those 25 miles where lesser improvements are now promised.

“But if what is promised for our region goes ahead soon it will be brilliant not only for our industry but also for our region’s economy.”

James Ramsbotham, North East Chamber of Commerce chief executive, said the region needed the changes to deliver more investment and jobs.

He said: “Successive Governments have failed to capitalise on the potential and huge capacity of increased development in the North of our region and upgrading this vital stretch of road will go some way to addressing that.

“North-East business is driving forward growth and creating jobs and the estimated £900m plus of infrastructure announcements that have been approved for our region in the last 18 months is a necessary step change.

“However, it must not be forgotten that the North-East is still a long way short of receiving the levels of infrastructure investment that will help to unlock further growth and job creation relative to other areas of the country.

“It is only by levelling the playing field in this way that we can be assured the private sector can reach its full potential in a region with enormous capacity for further growth.”

Penny Marshall, regional director of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) North East, added: “This work can help the region to achieve its potential, both economic and socially and will play a significant part in our region’s integrated transport system.”