THE campaign to dual the A64 east of York has won backing from Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire.

Speaking today as delays loomed over the Spring bank holiday on the route, particularly where it narrows into a single carriageway, he said the resurgence in coastal towns was at risk without dualling.

The Press launched its Dual Them! campaign last year to call for both the A64 and the York Outer Ring Road to be dualled.

Businesses, MPs, local authorities, trade organisations and the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership joined forces in 2017 to form the A64 Growth Partnership and increase the pressure on government for major long-term investment in the A64 between York and the Yorkshire coast.

The A64 Growth Partnership wants action to remove one of the most notorious 'pinch-points' in Yorkshire's main road network – to deliver economic growth, investment and to address safety concerns.

Sir Gary Verity said; “Congestion is a serious issue as our roads are becoming even busier. We’re always encouraging people to come to our county and see everything Yorkshire has to offer and we want it to be as convenient as possible for them to do this.

“Our coastal towns are seeing a resurgence that we want to celebrate and make the most of; without a major link road to these destinations we risk losing out on these visitors, which could be detrimental to many businesses.

“For that reason, the A64 has to be dualled. It’s something that has been talked about for over 30 years and we could do with a timetable sooner rather than later.”