CRAWLER lanes for lorries and other slow-moving vehicles could be built along some sections of the A66 across the Pennines.

The Highways Agency confirmed last night it is considering wide-ranging measures, including no-car lanes, for improving main trunk roads across the region.

Among the routes which could be improved is the A66 from Scotch Corner to Penrith, which still has single carriageway stretches and is one of the most dangerous roads in the country.

More than 70 people have died on the road over the past ten years, and many more have been injured.

Other roads to be improved could include the A19 from Teesside to Dishforth in North Yorkshire, the A69 from Newcastle to Carlisle and the A1 from Newcastle through North-umberland.

The A66 Completion Group has been pressing the Government to sanction full dualling of the road.

Earlier this year, the Highways Agency confirmed that independent consultants called in to study safety along the road had also come to the conclusion that this was the best solution.

However yesterday, a spokesman for the agency admitted other solutions could be considered in the meantime.

"There are two ways of looking at improvements on the A66," he said.

"Either we submit one massive bid for full dualling of the road as one project - which could take decades to get through Parliament - or we take a piecemeal approach and submit a series of smaller packages which will give us much the same thing in ten or 15 years.

"Whatever method is adopted, it is likely smaller, less expensive schemes could be introduced in the meantime - and crawler lanes on the A66 may be one example."

However, the agency has emphasised no final decisions have been made.

"We are not at that stage yet," said the spokesman at the Newcastle office.

Meanwhile, the Government's transport minister will be in the region today to see improvement work on the A1.

David Jamieson will be shown around the site as work continues on the Alnwick bypass, where an additional lane is being built to ease congestion.