ROAD chiefs are being blamed for delays to a multi-million pound airport expansion plan and overdue road safety improvements.

The Highways Agency is under fire for asking Durham Tees Valley Airport to produce a second traffic study.

The airport has already produced one traffic assessment based on the impact a new interchange will have on its £56m expansion plans.

The second report would examine the effects on the airport's plans should a planned interchange on the A66 at Longnewton not go ahead - despite ministerial assurances that it will.

The demand for the second study has triggered anger at the airport and fears among road safety campaigners that safety work on a stretch of the A66 dubbed 'Death Mile' by people living nearby, could be further delayed.

The airport says that far from it being to blame for any delays, it is the Government's Highways Agency that is holding up progress.

Over the years there have been a string of fatal accidents on the A66 outside Longnewton, most of which have involved vehicles attempting to cross the road.

Last year, after an inquest into yet another death on the road, Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield wrote to the Highways Agency, appealing for safety improvements.

A graded interchange would replace all the crossover gaps in the central reservation, which would be filled in.

Liberal Democrat councillor Mike Cherrett, who has campaigned for the interchange, said: "For some arcane reason I don't understand, the planning authorities require to have information on the airport both with and without the interchange - though the interchange is going ahead.

"It is annoying and frustrating and will really set the place on fire it there was another serious accident."

The plan to expand the airport includes a business park, aircraft stands, a hotel, restaurant, car parks and landscaping.

A spokesman for the airport said: "It is particularly unfortunate that this has arisen at a time when the airport is continuing to achieve continuing growth.

"Our existing terminal is rapidly approaching the point of maximum capacity and we need to put in place the facilities which will enable us to handle up to around three million passengers a year by 2015.

"The Highways Agency has sought to require us to produce a further traffic assessment on the assumption that the interchange would not be in place - a position which we find very difficult to understand and which has undoubtedly added delay and complication to the planning process."

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said: "The planning application relating to the airport has been delayed whilst a traffic impact assessment is prepared.

"The Highways Agency is working urgently with the local planning authority to resolve this issue as soon as possible."