21.08.19
Northern road projects in £700m funding bid
Transport for the North (TfN) has submitted a bid for £700m of investment into the region’s roads over the next five years, with 16 projects earmarked to benefit from the funding boost.
The regional transport body is asking for a significant share of the 2020-2025 National Roads Fund in order to complete the projects – which it says could unlock economic growth for the region.
A lack of East-West connectivity was a particular issue raised in TfN’s justification for the funds.
READ MORE: North of England leaders demand ‘Northern Budget’ to boost region (via Rail Technology Magazine)
The investment bid comes shortly following Northern leaders’ demand to chancellor Sajid Javid for a ‘Northern Budget’, allowing the realisation and completion of three major Northern infrastructure objectives.
Those were the £7bn to fund a Northern Infrastructure Pipeline of road and rail projects that could begin in the next five years, an investment of £39bn for the whole Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme, and £1bn for Transport for the North for the next three years.
As part of this newest £700m funding bid, the regional transport body has outlined a dozen Major Road Network schemes, and four Large Local Major schemes – all of which could be on-site or completed by 2025.
The schemes are as follows:
Major Road Network schemes
- A595 Improvement Scheme (Bothel) – Cumbria County Council
- A1079 Improvement Scheme – East Riding Council
- A582 Dualling – Lancashire County Council
- Blyth Relief Road – North of Tyne Combined Authority/North East Combined Authority
- Durham Northern Relief Road – North of Tyne Combined Authority/North East Combined Authority
- Sunderland Transport Corridor – North of Tyne Combined Authority/North East Combined Authority
- Tyne Bridge & Central Motorway – North of Tyne Combined Authority/North East Combined Authority
- Shalesmoor Gateway – Sheffield City Region
- A689 Corridor Improvements – Tees Valley Combined Authority
- A34 Cheadle – Greater Manchester Combined Authority
- A650 Tong Street – West Yorkshire Combined Authority
- Dawsons Corner Jct & Stanningley Bypass – West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Large Local Major schemes
- Kendal Northern Access Route – Cumbria County Council
- The Rocket Junction – Liverpool City Council
- Wigan East-West – Greater Manchester Combined Authority
- A1237 Dualling (Phase 2) – City of York Council
Additionally, there are a further four schemes already under consideration by the Department for Transport from previous rounds of funding.
These include two from the Tees Valley Combined Authority (the Second River Tees Crossing and the Darlington Northern Link Road) as well as the Sheffield Innovation Corridor and the A500 dualling from Crewe to the M6.