Funding bids for transport studies considered
DECISIONS ARE set to be made today over multi-million pound plans to improve transport networks across the region.
Three major bids totalling £1.8m for an assessment for the dualling of York’s Outer Ring Road, a by-pass scheme for Wakefield district towns, and congestion south of Dewsbury, are set to be considered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA).
Also up for final approval is a funding bid for additional work on an existing scheme between Bradford and Leeds Bradford Airport, totalling nearly £1m. The developments are to be considered at WYCA’s board meeting today.
Good progress was being made in delivering “a programme of investments”, committee chairwoman Coun Susan Hinchcliffe said after an investment committee in early July meeting backed the bids for approval.
“This preparatory work is vital to ensuring each scheme progressed meets our aims of developing transport to create economic growth, new jobs and more opportunities for housing as well as speeding up people’s journeys and improving air quality,” she said.
The first scheme to be considered is a bid for £284,000 for a feasibility study into a new South Featherstone Link Road, which would include a bypass around Ackworth, Featherstone and Pontefract. This would unlock land for housing, development and employment as well as reducing congestion and improving safety, members have been told.
The second bid is for funding of £284,000 for pre-feasibility design route options for a scheme along the A644/A638 corridor in north Kirklees.
And the third would be around assessments for the much-debated dualling of York’s Outer Ring Road. Considered “crucial” to York’s Local Plan, it would help achieve the city’s future housing and employment growth aspirations as well as boosting journey times, documents submitted to the committee state.
Additional funds of £972,000 have also been requested for extra work on the re-configuration of the Harrogate Road to New Line junction scheme in Bradford, a scheme which is already underway.