Government pledges £42m for key transport infrastructure

Commuters and businesses in South Yorkshire have been promised quicker journeys and better connections in and out of Sheffield, after Roads Minister Baroness Vere announced £42m to upgrade the A630.

Acting as a key route between Rotherham and Sheffield while providing access to the M1, the road has around 65,000 vehicles use it a day.

This makes it one of the busiest in the region and a vital part of Yorkshire’s road network.

The £42 million being invested by the Government will transform the existing road into a dual three-lane carriageway, markedly increasing capacity.

Junction 33 on the intersecting M1 will also benefit from carriageway widening and resurfacing, reducing congestion, cutting carbon (CO2) emissions, and further boosting capacity to help road users move about more easily.

Baroness Vere said: “The funding announced today will make a real difference to thousands of commuters’ journeys in the region every day, and further demonstrates our ongoing commitment to levelling up transport infrastructure in the North.

“By boosting the capacity on this vital A-road, and delivering this scheme in good time, we’ll help improve connectivity, cut journey times and boost local economies in South Yorkshire.”

The main works are set to start soon and the new road is scheduled to open in summer 2022, with the Department for Transport’s funding contribution forming the majority of the total scheme cost of £46m.

The announcement of the funding package comes after the Northern Transport Acceleration Council was established earlier this year.

It was created with the desire to speed up the delivery of Northern transport projects, cut bureaucracy and red tape and give Northern mayors and council leaders a direct line to ministers.