£95m plan for major upgrade of road corridor

A £95M scheme to improve travel between Bradford, Brighouse and Huddersfield will be discussed by an investment committee next week.

Plans for the A641 Bradford/ Huddersfield Corridor scheme were first proposed in 2016 and would involve major improvements to a route that carries 38,000 vehicles a day.

The changes would include road widening and signal works at the A641 junction with Huddersfield Road in Wyke, a new cycling greenway between Wyke and Brighouse and new road links in and around Brighouse town centre.

The scheme will be discussed by members of West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Investment Committee at an online meeting on Tuesday, where members will be asked to move the project to the next stage – the production of a business case for the plans.

Overall the scheme is expected to cost £95.1m, £75.5m of which will be funded by the Combined Authority.

Even if the project arrives on time, it is not likely to be completed until December 2025.

Other proposals in the scheme include a new link between Bradford Road and Birkby Lane, bypassing the main junction, improvements on Commercial Street and Market Street in Brighouse town centre, improved pedestrian links between the town centre and Brighouse railway station and a new road link between the A643 and A644 Wakefield Road.

The committee will be asked to grant £1.335m to begin the outline business case.

A report going to the committee says: “The A641 forms part of the key route network between Huddersfield and Bradford, carrying 38,000 vehicles per day.

“It also provides an essential link from Brighouse to surrounding centres and the M62 J25.”

The report says there are several transport-related issues along the corridor, including slow and unreliable bus journey times, a car-dominated highway network, poor air quality, congestion, limited and unattractive pedestrian and cyclist facilities and crossings and poor connectivity between Brighouse town centre and the town’s rail station.