THE Government is being urged to accelerate plans to tackle an accident blackspot after it claimed another life.

Campaigners made their calls following an accident on the so-called "death-mile" stretch of the A66 near Stockton in which an elderly man was killed on Friday.

As reported in The Northern Echo on Saturday, the driver of a Ford Fiesta died as he attempted to cross the busy dual carriageway through a gap in the central reservation opposite the village of Long Newton.

Work is due to begin next autumn on the building of a new interchange at the site, replacing existing cross over points which have been the scene of dozens of accidents.

District ward councillor Mike Cherrett said: "I would just call on the Highways Agency and the Government ministry to do all they can and speed things up.''

He said the feeling in the village was one of exasperation.

There were 35 serious crashes on the A66 outside the village between 1987 and 1992.

And in 1985, seven people died in seven months on the dual carriageway between the villages of Sadberge, Long Newton and Elton.

Plans for the junction were unveiled in the 1980s and announced by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in April 2001, but his words were not matched with Government money.

There were hopes that, after decades of campaigning by villagers, road safety campaigners and MPs, work would begin in September last year but the date is now Autumn next year.

The man who died in Friday's accident was cut from the wreckage of his car by firefighters as was a woman, whose condition is described as serious.

The couple had travelled from Durham Tees Valley Airport and it is thought that they may have aiming to cross the westbound carriageway of the A66 to turn east towards Middlesbrough, when the accident happened.

Their Fiesta was in collision with a Vauxhall Astra van in the crash, which happened at the height of Friday evening's rush hour.

The name of the motorist who died has not been released. Police said the van driver was unhurt,

Cleveland Police, which closed the road, are appealing for witnesses to the incident to ring crash investigators on (01642) 301558.