THERE were no queues to view the display boards at the Scotch Corner Hotel yesterday.

Officials ready to help with inquiries outnumbered the public when the exhibition opened at 10am.

It may be that the £13m to be invested in an upgraded A66 between the A1 interchange and Greta Bridge represents a significant step towards the successful conclusion of a 20-year campaign.

But the Highways Agency is well aware there is much more to do before even a yard of tarmac is laid - and, as a result, staff manning the exhibition yesterday had the demeanour of those prepared for a long haul.

Essentially, the projects unveiled yesterday can be described simply enough: The Highways Agency is proposing to build a two-lane carriageway to the north of the existing A66 between the A1 and the old Roman fort at Carkin Moor and largely to the south of the road between Stephen Bank and Greta Bridge.

Although there are no under-passes, bridges, or traffic lights, most junctions will be improved, while some of the lesser links with the A66 will be blocked off.

The engineers who have designed both projects have built-in facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and horse-riders.

However, the British Horse Society was the first to object to the proposals yesterday, suggesting more could be done to accommodate its members.

"It's very early days but I suspect there will be more objections,'' said Highways Agency project sponsor, Steve Sexton.

"We held a meeting for local councillors and MPs on Thursday where the mood was generally supportive. However, we have to go through the due legal process and that is likely to mean a public inquiry.''

He continued: "The main purpose of these schemes is to improve road safety. However, they will also provide worthwhile savings in journey times and reduce delays which currently occur when essential maintenance is being carried out.''

The exhibition at the Scotch Corner Hotel continues between 10am and 8pm today, before moving to the village hall at Newsham, North Yorkshire, where it will be open between 10am and 8pm on Wednesday, and 10am and 6pm on Thursday.

The two new sections of road between Scotch Corner and Greta Bridge will be developed in tandem with another at Temple Sowerby, where a five-kilometre dual carriageway will bypass the village.

Information on all three projects can be viewed on line at www.highways.gov.uk.