CRAWLER lanes for slow vehicles could be introduced on the A66 trans-Pennine route and other trunk roads in the North-East and North Yorkshire.

While the Highways Agency stressed that no decisions had been taken, a spokesman confirmed that no-car lanes were one option being considered.

The agency is looking at a number of ways of improving major roads in the region, including the A19 from Teesside to Dishforth.

An independent consultant's study into safety on the A66 Scotch Corner to Penrith route concluded that full dualling was the best solution - something that has been campaigned for by the A66 completion group for several years.

Campaigners are now pressing the government to include the upgrade in its roads programme.

However, the agency spokesman said other, short-term solutions could be considered in the meantime.

"There are two ways of looking at improvements on the A66," he said.

"Either we submit one massive bid for full dualling of the road as one project, which could take decades to get through Parliament, or we take a piecemeal approach and submit a series of smaller packages which will give us much the same thing in ten or 15 years."

He said smaller, cheaper schemes could be introduced in the meantime and these could include crawler lanes for lorries and other slow vehicles.