Demolition work begins on £355m A63 project

CASTLE STREET UPGRADE

DEMOLITION work is starting this week as part of the next phase of the £355m A63 upgrade scheme in Castle Street.

The removal of the former Myton Centre in William Street is aimed at opening up the surrounding area for new planting and landscaping.

Ultimately the facelift will connect the existing Jubilee Arboretum Porter Street with the adjacent William Oak Park.

The arboretum was planted in 2012 to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and features around 20 exotic species of tree which are rarely found elsewhere in Hull.

The Myton Centre was previously used by Hull City Council’s occupational health services.

Staff who used to work there have recently relocated to nearby Lil Bilocca House in Porter Street.

Highways England project manager Bernice Beckley said: “This is a really exciting time for the project, once the Myton Centre has been demolished we can landscape the area and open it up for the public.

“I want to offer reassurance that we are not expecting the demolition work to be noisy and work will only take place during the day.

“We are entering a significant new stage in this major scheme which will ease congestion, improve safety and enhance access to the port.”

Demolition of the Myton Centre is expected to take around a month to complete. Inside of the building will be stripped with structural demolition work starting later in the week.

Meanwhile, work that began in November to strengthen the central reservation between Mytongate and Alfred Street to allow for construction of an underpass and diversion of a large sewer is about to resume.

The job was paused following feedback from residents and the council so the construction methods could be reviewed.

This work, which will take around four weeks, started yesterday 4 and will be done overnight because the A63 has to be closed eastbound and reduced to one lane westbound for safety.