New River Tees Crossing Could Be More Than a Decade Away

A new A19 crossing over the River Tees is unlikely to be delivered for at least 12 years and could cost around £700 million, according to Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen.

The mayor said any major new crossing would require central government funding, but warned that current national road investment priorities make progress unlikely in the near future.

The Department for Transport has not included a completely new River Tees crossing in its current Road Investment Strategy, which runs into the next decade. It is also not currently listed among schemes being considered for the following investment period after 2031.

Houchen said the most realistic option would be to upgrade the existing A19 flyover and convert it to northbound-only traffic, while constructing a new bridge to carry southbound vehicles.

However, with estimated costs now standing at approximately £700 million, he said the Tees Valley Combined Authority does not have the funding available to deliver the project independently.

The Government said it had assessed potential road schemes on the basis of value for money and deliverability, and that a new Tees crossing was not selected for inclusion.

A Department for Transport spokesperson rejected suggestions that the region had been overlooked, pointing to previous investment of around £250 million in the A19 across the North East.

The Government also said its current roads strategy is focused on maintaining and renewing existing infrastructure rather than prioritising major new road construction. It has allocated £27 billion for the strategic road network between 2026 and 2031.

Houchen argued that the third Road Investment Strategy has been significantly reduced and warned that, even if a future government were to reverse the current position, the time required for approvals, planning and construction would mean a crossing could still be more than a decade away.

He suggested that a 12-year wait would be optimistic, given the complexity of securing funding and delivering a project of this scale.

The Department for Transport acknowledged that the scheme remains a priority for the Tees Valley Combined Authority but confirmed that it is not currently part of either the existing roads programme or future schemes under consideration.

The debate highlights continuing pressure for additional transport capacity across the Tees, where local leaders argue that improved connectivity is needed to support economic growth, resilience and movement across the region.