Major upgrade for city’s road transport infrastructure

Work on a roads upgrade which is expected to have a major positive impact on Hull is due to start this summer.

The A63 Castle Street scheme will create a better connection between the city centre and the retail and docks area.

Highways England says it should support the city’s economic growth, improving journeys to and from the centre, while helping the Port of Hull thrive.

Following a green light from the Transport Secretary, Highways England can now set up a site compound and begin work on the ground.

Highways England senior project manager James Leeming said: “We are delighted that the decision has been signed off, and we can now look forward to delivering improvements that will genuinely transform the city.

“These changes will make life considerably easier for road users and pedestrians.”

The Highways England project will see the creation of a new junction by lowering the level of the A63 at the Mytongate junction.

Ferensway and Commercial Road will cross the A63, creating a split-level junction. The eastbound carriageway between Princes Dock Street and Market Place will be widened to three lanes, and a new bridge built over the A63 at Porter Street.

Meanwhile the city’s new bridge, also funded by Highways England with a £4m contribution from Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), which is to be named after Hull’s first female GP Dr Mary Murdoch, will be unveiled this summer.

It will connect the city centre to the marina, waterfront and fruit market.

The structure is to cross the dual carriageway of the A63, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to safely cross the road. It will also ease congestion on the A63.

Councillor Daren Hale, portfolio holder for economic regeneration and planning at Hull City Council said: “Over the past 20 years the council has worked tirelessly alongside Highways England, our colleagues in the LEP and our local MPs to lobby for this essential upgrade and to ensure this scheme is high on the agenda for the Department for Transport.

“We are pleased the Government has finally recognised how crucial the upgrade to the A63 is, providing a key component of the city’s transport infrastructure improvement and wider long-term regeneration plans.

“The council is also working closely with Highways England and Balfour Beatty on what we hope is just the first of many employment opportunities that will become available for local people in the city.”

Stephen Parnaby, chairman of the Humber LEP, said: “The Humber LEP is incredibly pleased to see that the A63 Major Highway Improvement Scheme has been formally approved by Government.

“This scheme is of vital importance to the future of the Humber economy, as by improving congestion on this major route we can also improve access to Hull’s port and industrial sites, which in turn can also benefit the UK economy by further boosting trade links with the rest of the world.

“The approved upgrades will also help unlock further development opportunities to the east of Hull, which has the potential to attract new jobs and investment in the city, while also improving links between Hull city centre and the Marina and Fruit Market regeneration area.”