THE Government yesterday finally pledged to fix the A66 - but warned work to tackle its appalling safety record could take 20 years.

Transport Minister John Spellar said he was giving a commitment to fully upgrade to dual carriageway the road dubbed the most dangerous in Britain.

Mr Spellar paid tribute to The Northern Echo, which has been at the forefront of the campaign to "Fix The A66" for several years.

He said: "The Northern Echo has run a determined campaign over the years. Its tenacity is now being rewarded and I commend this newspaper for its energy in keeping the issues in the forefront of our minds."

Work costing £141m will take place on the notorious 50-mile stretch between Scotch Corner and Penrith with three separate improvement schemes, beginning from 2004.

Campaigners hailed a victory for safety and North-East business leaders said the upgrade would prove a massive boost to the region's economy.

But doubts remained over just how long the entire project would take to complete, with predictions ranging from between 15 to 20 years.

The Northern Echo, whose A66 campaign was set up seven years ago in response to the rising toll of deaths on the road, exclusively predicted Mr Spellar's announcement yesterday.

Mr Spellar said he was endorsing a report by Government-appointed consultants Maunsell, who recommended full dualling last year.

He said: "I will be asking the Highways Agency to look at the sections of existing single carriageway in order to draw up a programme of works to bring the road up to dual carriageway standard.

"These plans will bring benefits, not just for the users of this route, but for local people and the economy."

Three schemes to extend the carriageway at Temple Sowerby, and between Greta Bridge and Stephen Bank, and Carkin Moor to Scotch Corner are already in the planning stages and could be completed within the next five years.

This would leave about a third of the route remaining single carriageway with progress on this depending on the "solutions developed and the time taken to complete statutory procedures", he said.

Last night North Yorkshire County Councillor Michael Heseltine, who for 30 years has campaigned for a dual carriageway, said work must be done as speedily as possible.

He said: "This is real progress at last after so many years hard work and campaigning. I would emphasise though that there must be some action as soon a possible.

"Every hour of delay increases the risk of another accident or more loss of life and I don't want to see anyone else killed or injured."

Rachel Spence, head of policy at the North-East Chamber of Commerce, said: "The A66 is a key route for the movement of freight in the region and it is absolutely crucial that we have a high-quality dual carriageway running from Scotch Corner to Penrith."

One NorthEast chairman Dr John Bridge said the upgrade was "very significant" and could add millions to the regional economy when combined with plans to add additional lanes to the A1.

The A66 between Scotch Corner and Penrith has claimed 70 lives in more than a decade.

Recent Government research suggests that during the next 30 years without full dualling it could claim another 20 with 139 people being seriously injured.

A spokesman for Richmond MP William Hague, whose constituency takes in part of the notorious stretch, said: "We have stood full square with The Northern Echo campaign and this announcement is a chink of light."

A spokesman for the Department of Transport admitted that the remaining stretches of single carriageway outside of the three improvement schemes already identified would have to be "started from scratch".

He said: "We may be looking at as much as 15 to 20 years for the entire project.

"There are processes to go through which may involve buying land and getting relevant planning permissions."