MAJOR plans to upgrade the A1 in the north of the region are being announced today as part of a £15bn package to improve the road network.

The Government has confirmed £290m is being invested to create 34 miles of dual carriageway from Morpeth to Ellingham, in Northumberland, with further improvements up to the Scottish border.

In Gateshead, the A1 will also be widened between Coal House and the junction with the A194(M), as well as the provision of additional lanes to the north from Scotswood to North Brunton to reduce congestion on Tyneside.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin hailed the plans as “the biggest, boldest and most far-reaching roads programme for decades".

He added: “It will dramatically improve the network and unlock Britain’s economic potential.

“Roads are key to our nation’s prosperity. For too long they have suffered from under-investment.

“This Government has a long term plan to secure the country’s future and this £15bn roads programme is demonstration of that. It will directly benefit hardworking families across Yorkshire and the North-East.”

The new funding builds on the improvements that began in 2010, including the A1 upgrade between Leeming and Barton and work is underway to build an all-motorway link from Newcastle and Teesside to the rest of England by 2017.

A second Tyne Tunnel opened in 2011, widening the A19 under the river to two lanes in each direction.

Chairman of the Cabinet Infrastructure Committee and Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said: “World class infrastructure is vital if we are to build a stronger economy, but it matters in other ways too.

“It invigorates communities and gives people more opportunities to get on in life.

“Investment on this scale is only possible because we have taken the difficult decisions needed to control our public finances and stuck to our recovery plan which is now delivering strong growth and record numbers of jobs.”

The Government has said the region will benefit from 18 new schemes worth around £2.3bn, creating an estimated 1,500 construction jobs.

Chancellor George Osborne, said: “I promised when I was in the North-East that we would address this area’s economic needs for the future.

“This is all about investing in the Northern Powerhouse we are seeking to build.

“Our plans will transform some of the country’s most important strategic routes, and ambitious projects such as the upgrade of the A1, as well as spending on important local infrastructure, will boost productivity and help the local economy of the North-East.”