£16.5 million improvements along Yorkshire and Humber’s road for Christmas
Drivers in Yorkshire and Humber will benefit from over £16.5millon of road maintenance improvements over the next few months as the Highways Agency continues with its year round maintenance of the strategic road network.
Between now and Christmas, teams of roadworkers will be working across Yorkshire and Humber, repairing and maintaining the region’s 326 miles of motorways and trunk roads.
Highways Agency North East Regional Director, Vanessa Gilbert, said:
This is really good news for road users across Yorkshire because it will ultimately mean more reliable journey times and improved safety. Record amounts are being invested in roads – that inevitably means more roadworks, but for every scheme we work on there will be an improvement for drivers.
We are well aware of how frustrating drivers find roadworks – but I would like to reassure everyone that all our work is planned very carefully to cause as little disruption as possible. Some is inevitable – and we ask for drivers’ cooperation while the improvements are carried out.
North Yorkshire
Before Christmas over £5.3 million will be invested along the length of the A64, including major resurfacing work between:
- Bramham and Headley Bar
- Grimston and Hopgrove (eastbound)
- Tadcaster and Bilbrough
- A64 Staxton roundabout and Seamer roundabout
- Seamer bypass
In addition to this maintenance work, the £380 million A1 upgrade between Leeming and Barton is also well underway. Once complete, the existing 12 mile dual carriageway will be replaced with a new three lane motorway. The project is vital for the north east economy, it and will improve safety and journey time reliability between London and major urban centres in the north of England and Scotland.
South Yorkshire
In the run up to Christmas over £5.1million will be spent maintaining roads in South Yorkshire. The M18 will see over £700,000 of resurfacing work. Over £900,000 will be spent in improving the A57, A628, A616 Transpennine route, and on the M1 there will be £2.65 million of resurfacing work and £400,000 of bridge joint work.
This year there are also 5 pinch point schemes taking place in South Yorkshire, with a total of £24.41million. The national pinch point programme provides smaller scale road improvements that can deliver big returns for the region.
East Ridings of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire
Over the next few months £3 million will be invested in maintaining roads in the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. This includes £300,000 of barrier work on the M181, £300,000 of resurfacing work on the A63, £450,000 of resurfacing work on the M62 and £540,000 of resurfacing work on the M180.
This year there has also been an addition investment of £1.75 million for work on 2 M62 pinch point schemes, helping boost the local economy and drive economic growth.
West Yorkshire
Over £2.6 million will be spent maintaining roads in West Yorkshire before Christmas. On the M606 and M621 there will be £350,000 and £160,000 of resurfacing work taking place. On the M62 there will be £840,000 of resurfacing work, £220,000 of bridge work and £450,000 of drainage work.
In addition to this maintenance work, the £210 million M1 junction 39 to J42 smart motorway is progressing well, and is due to complete in autumn next year (2015).
West Yorkshire will also benefit from 7 pinch point improvement schemes being delivered this year, totalling £31.37 million, easing congestion and making journey times more reliable for road users.
Nationally, every day some four million vehicles use roads managed by the Highways Agency, that’s one third of all traffic; and around 80 per cent of all goods travel by road, with two thirds of large goods vehicles.
During any roadworks drivers are advised to plan their journeys and allow more for travel. Drivers can get up-to-the-minute travel information by phoning the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 123 5000 or by accessing the Agency’s website Drivers can also download the Highways Agency’s iPhone app or follow updates via Twitter at @HAnews_yorks.
Further information regarding current and planned roadworks in Yorkshire and Humber plus neighbouring regions can be found on the Highways Agency website.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways Agency press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.