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| From | Darlington | |||
| Major intersections | ||||
| To | Edinburgh City Bypass | |||
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| Country | United Kingdom | |||
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TheA68 is a major road in the United Kingdom, running fromDarlington in England to theA720 inEdinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It crosses theAnglo-Scottish border atCarter Bar and is the only road to do so for some distance either way; the next major crossings are theA697 fromColdstream toCornhill-on-Tweed in the east, and theA7 nearCanonbie to the west.
The southernmost section of the A68, as it leaves Darlington, has been described as a "rustbelt".[1] In January 2022 there was a proposal to widen key roundabouts in Darlington to ease traffic flow.[2] The road crosses theA1(M) at Copshaw Hill Interchange.[3] It bypassesBishop Auckland and runs throughWest Auckland,Toft Hill andTow Law, where Durham County Council has installed a live camera so that drivers can check traffic and weather.[4] It then passesConsett andCorbridge; it used to pass through the centre of the town but since 1979 has run on a bypass to the east, crossing theRiver Tyne overStyford Bridge.[5] During the construction of the bypass, Roman burials, glass and coins were found, and some traces ofDere Street.[6] To return to the previous route of the A68 it isconcurrent with theA69 for 2.9 miles (4.7 km), before turning off north again. The road passes through ruralNorthumberland, following the route of Dere Street for much of this stretch, which is considered highly scenic.[7]
The A68 crosses theScottish border atCarter Bar, then runs through theBorder towns ofJedburgh,St Boswells,Earlston andLauder before going overSoutra Hill, passing throughPathhead and by-passingDalkeith, before terminating at Millerhill Junction on the A720.[8] Until September 2008, the A68 passed through Dalkeith; the opening of a bypass removed large volumes of traffic from the town centre and led to a reduction in accidents.[9] The northern section is used by commuters to Edinburgh, as well as long-distance traffic.[10]
In August 2020 part of the road near Fala collapsed after heavy rain.[11] It reopened the following month.[12][13]
Part of the A68 is atrunk road from the boundary withMidlothian to the border at Carter Bar, managed by BEAR Scotland forTransport Scotland.[14][15] The English section as far south as the junction with theA696 toNewcastle was previously a trunk road,[16] but was detrunked in 2001 as part of the government's "New Deal for Trunk Roads in England" report published three years earlier.[17]
Along with the A696, the A68 forms an alternative route betweenNewcastle Upon Tyne and Edinburgh to theA1 which runs along the coast viaBerwick Upon Tweed, and is the more scenic of the two.[18]
The A68 follows the RomanDere Street north of Corbridge, crossingHadrian's Wall, and shares its route as far as the historic camps ofHabitancum andBremenium. The area contains numerous Roman forts.[19]
The current route across Carter Bar was proposed byJohn Loudon McAdam in 1828. It was constructed over the following decade, and featured bridges designed byJames Jardine.[20]
The A68 was the 20th most dangerous UK road in 2017.[21] In 2021, the Scottish government announced funding for safety improvements in Pathhead.[22] In England, some MPs have lobbied for similar safety improvements along the road.[23]
A roads in Zone 6 of theGreat Britain road numbering scheme | ||
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55°17′34″N2°18′41″W / 55.29268°N 2.31144°W /55.29268; -2.31144
