View source for A68 road

{{Short description|Major road in the United Kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox road
|country=GBR
|type=A
|route=68
|map=[[File:A68 road map.png|200px]]|map_custom=yes
|terminus_a   = [[Darlington]]
|destinations = {{ubl | [[Bishop Auckland]] | [[Consett]] | [[Corbridge]] | [[Jedburgh]]| [[Edinburgh]]}}
|terminus_b   = [[Edinburgh City Bypass]]
|junction     = {{ubl | {{jct|country=GBR|AM|1|name1= }} | {{jct|country=GBR|A|69|name1= }} | {{jct|country=GBR|A|696|name1= }} | {{jct|country=GBR|A|720|name1= }} }}
|e-road         = 
|previous_type  = A
|next_type      = A
|previous_route = 67
|next_route     = 69
|}}

The '''A68''' is a major road in the United Kingdom, running from [[Darlington]] in England to the [[Edinburgh City Bypass|A720]] in [[Edinburgh]], the capital of Scotland. It crosses the [[Anglo-Scottish border]] at [[Carter Bar]] and is the only road to do so for some distance either way; the next major crossings are the [[A697 road|A697]] from [[Coldstream]] to [[Cornhill-on-Tweed]] in the east, and the [[A7 road (Great Britain)|A7]] near [[Canonbie]] to the west.

==Route==
[[File:A68 crossing the border at the Carter Bar - geograph.org.uk - 1409134.jpg|thumb|left|Border at [[Carter Bar]]]]
The southernmost section of the A68, as it leaves Darlington, has been described as a "rustbelt".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/19400580.county-durham-darlington-mps-lobby-a68-improvements/|title=MPs lobby roads minister for upgrades and bypasses for 'rust belt' A68|last=Priestley|first=Catherine|website=The Northern Echo|date=26 June 2021}}</ref> In January 2022 there was a proposal to widen key roundabouts in Darlington to ease traffic flow.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Edgar|first=Bill|date=21 January 2022|url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/19866013.darlington-residents-invited-event-view-a68-road-plans/|title=Public consultation on major redesign in Darlington which could see home demolished|website=The Northern Echo}}</ref> The road crosses the [[A1(M) motorway|A1(M)]] at Copshaw Hill Interchange.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A1(M) J58 Copshaw Hill Interchange|url=https://www.roads.org.uk/motorway/a1/670|website=roads.org|access-date=2022-09-29}}</ref> It bypasses [[Bishop Auckland]] and runs through [[West Auckland, Durham|West Auckland]], [[Toft Hill, County Durham|Toft Hill]] and [[Tow Law]], where Durham County Council has installed a live camera so that drivers can check traffic and weather.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.durham.gov.uk/weathercameras?action=detail&camera=12|title=A68 Tow Law – Durham County Council|website=durham.gov.uk}}</ref> It then passes [[Consett]] and [[Corbridge]]; it used to pass through the centre of the town but since 1979 has run on a bypass to the east, crossing the [[River Tyne]] over [[Styford Bridge]].<ref name=HexhamCourant19791012>{{cite news |title=New £3m road link opens at Styford |newspaper=[[Hexham Courant]]| date=12 October 1979 |page=1}}</ref> During the construction of the bypass, Roman burials, glass and coins were found, and some traces of [[Dere Street]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/library/browse/details.xhtml?recordId=3213159|title=Library|website=archaeologydataservice.ac.uk}}</ref> To return to the previous route of the A68 it is [[concurrency (road)|concurrent]] with the [[A69 road|A69]] for {{convert|2.9|mi}}, before turning off north again. The road passes through rural [[Northumberland]], following the route of Dere Street for much of this stretch, which is considered highly scenic.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/gallery/a68-road-northumberland-scotland-border-19502750|title=14 great views of Northumberland you can see from the A68|first=Tim|last=McGuinness|date=9 January 2021|website=ChronicleLive}}</ref>

The A68 crosses the [[Anglo-Scottish border|Scottish border]] at [[Carter Bar]], then runs through the [[Scottish Borders|Border]] towns of [[Jedburgh]], [[St Boswells]], [[Earlston]] and [[Lauder]] before going over [[Soutra Aisle|Soutra Hill]], passing through [[Pathhead, Midlothian|Pathhead]] and by-passing [[Dalkeith]], before terminating at Millerhill Junction on the A720.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.roads.org.uk/index.php/motorway/a720/110|title=A720 Millerhill Junction|website=roads.org|access-date=2022-09-29}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/39328/a68-t-dalkeith-bypass-3ya-report-06-feb-2017.pdf|page=43|title=3YA Evaluation Report for A68(T) Dalkeith Bypass|author=Transport Scotland}}</ref> The northern section is used by commuters to Edinburgh, as well as long-distance traffic.<ref>{{cite report|url=https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/22822/j9876b-02.pdf|title=A68 Pathhead to Tynehead Improvement Scheme Stage 3 Environmental Statement|work=Transport Scotland|page=iii|date=June 2008|accessdate=3 October 2022}}</ref> 

In August 2020 part of the road near Fala collapsed after heavy rain.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-53805891|title='Technical challenges' face A68 landslide road repair|date=17 August 2020|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> It reopened the following month.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ritchie|first=Cameron|url=https://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/18702163.a68-reopens-entire-section-carriageway-rebuilt-following-storm-damage/ |title=A68 reopens after entire section of carriageway rebuilt following storm damage|date=7 September 2020|work=East Lothian Courier}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Rinaldi|first=Giancarlo|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-54055922|title=A68 at Fala: The collapsed road rebuilt in under a month|date=8 September 2020|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>

Part of the A68 is a [[trunk road]] from the boundary with [[Midlothian]] to the border at Carter Bar, managed by BEAR Scotland for [[Transport Scotland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/20031/roads_and_pavements/106/trunk_roads|title=Trunk Roads|website=Scottish Borders Council|accessdate=3 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/50550/official-list-of-trunk-roads-1-november-2021.pdf|title=Trunk roads|author=Transport Scotland}}</ref> The English section as far south as the junction with the [[A696 road|A696]] to [[Newcastle Upon Tyne|Newcastle]] was previously a trunk road,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1976-08-05/debates/6335adae-5017-480f-abf3-5a3e23a2a8d7/RoadNetwork|title=Road Network|work=Hansard|date=5 August 1976|accessdate=3 October 2022}}</ref> but was detrunked in 2001 as part of the government's "[[A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England|New Deal for Trunk Roads in England]]" report published three years earlier.<ref>{{cite report|url=https://www.ciht.org.uk/media/8072/sixty_years_of_highway_infrastructure.pdf|title=Sixty Years of Highway Infrastructure – Motorway and Trunk Road Development in the North East|publisher=[[Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation]]|accessdate=3 October 2022}}</ref>

Along with the A696, the A68 forms an alternative route between [[Newcastle Upon Tyne]] and Edinburgh to the [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1]] which runs along the coast via [[Berwick Upon Tweed]], and is the more scenic of the two.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.countryfile.com/go-outdoors/britains-top-10-country-roads/|title=Britain's most scenic country roads|magazine=CountryFile|date=2 February 2019|accessdate=4 October 2022}}</ref>

==History==
The A68 follows the Roman [[Dere Street]] north of Corbridge, crossing [[Hadrian's Wall]], and shares its route as far as the historic camps of [[Habitancum]] and [[Bremenium]]. The area contains numerous Roman forts.<ref>{{cite book|title=Hadrian's Wall – History and Guide|first=Guy|last=de la Bedoyere|publisher=Amberley|page=129|year=2010|isbn=978-1-445-61213-3}}</ref>

The current route across Carter Bar was proposed by [[John Loudon McAdam]] in 1828. It was constructed over the following decade, and featured bridges designed by [[James Jardine (engineer)|James Jardine]].<ref>{{cite book|title=A Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland|publisher=Thomas Telford|year=2002|pages=360, 417|volume=1}}</ref>

==Safety==
The A68 was the 20th most dangerous UK road in 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk-news/revealed-most-dangerous-roads-scotland-and-uk-1432643|title=Revealed: The most dangerous roads in Scotland and the UK|date=1 February 2018|work=The Scotsman}}</ref> In 2021, the Scottish government announced funding for safety improvements in Pathhead.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/people/local-msp-welcomes-funding-to-improve-road-safety-in-pathhead-3467975|title=Local MSP welcomes funding to improve road safety in Pathhead|work=Edinburgh News|date=23 November 2021|accessdate=3 October 2022}}</ref> In England, some MPs have lobbied for similar safety improvements along the road.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/19400580.county-durham-darlington-mps-lobby-a68-improvements/|title=County Durham and Darlington MPs lobby for A68 improvements|newspaper=Northern Echo|date=26 June 2021|accessdate=3 October 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[British road numbering scheme]]
{{commons category}}

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==

{{GB A road zone 6}}
{{Transport in Edinburgh}}

{{coord|55.29268|N|2.31144|W|type:landmark_region:GB_dim:90000|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:6-0068}}
[[Category:Roads in England]]
[[Category:Roads in Scotland]]
[[Category:Transport in County Durham]]
[[Category:Transport in Northumberland]]
[[Category:Transport in the Scottish Borders]]
[[Category:Transport in Midlothian]]
[[Category:Transport in Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Roads in Northumberland]]
[[Category:Lauder]]
[[Category:Earlston]]
[[Category:St Boswells]]
[[Category:Jedburgh]]