THERE has always been a formidable case for the A66 to be a dual carriageway between Scotch Corner and Penrith.

The dangers of having intermittent stretches of dual and single carriageway on a busy trunk road carrying a great deal of slow-moving heavy goods traffic are reflected in the horrendous death toll over the years.

And there has always been a overwhelming economic case for the main artery between the North-West and North-East to be a route capable of carrying as much traffic as possible, as efficiently as possible and as safely as possible.

The frustration has been that despite the fact that most people have recognised the compelling argument for dualling the A66 along its entire length, progress towards that goal has been irritatingly slow.

These have been the tenets which have formed the basis of The Northern Echo's A66 campaign.

Earlier this year we welcomed the Government's long overdue decision to upgrade the A1 through our region to motorway status.

That decision strengthened the resolve of our campaign and ultimately led to yesterday's announcement.

The prospect, in terms of safety, of motorists turning off a three-lane motorway on to little more than a country road was beyond contemplation.

At long last, common sense has prevailed.

Previously, we have voiced our criticisms of the Government's apparent inertia on this issue, but there would be little purpose in raking over this old ground.

This is not the time to question why it has taken so long to reach this conclusion, but the time to applaud the decision.

This is not the time to berate the Government for not acting sooner, but the time to press them to progress these plans as speedily as possible.

We understand the complexities involved in such a major construction project, and realise they will not happen overnight.

But we hope that, for the sake of the regional economy and the safety of the thousands of people who travel on the A66 every day, there are no unnecessary hold-ups.