Work starting on major link road at end of July

Calderdale Council will raze shops, which it bought under a compulsory purchase order, at the bottleneck to carry out the project.

It will be followed by a major upgrade of the Calder and Hebble junction in late 2018, from Ainley Top towards the Stainland Road junction.

And it follows work already done which includes a revised junction on the A629 Huddersfield Road where it meets Free School Lane and Shaw Hill, to the south of Halifax town centre. The road has been widened, extra lanes created, new traffic light technology, dedicated cycleways and pedestrian crossings.

Clr Barry Collins, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet member for Regeneration and Economic Development, said: “I’m delighted that local people are already seeing real benefits from the improvements at Shaw Hill.

“This is exactly what we’re aiming to achieve through our A629 project – quicker and easier journeys, better access to jobs and business opportunities, improved connectivity to and from the M62 and boosted economic growth.”

Work is being funded by the West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund programme, which is investing £1 billion over 10 years in more than 30 transport infrastructure schemes across West Yorkshire and York.

Further phases along the Huddersfield-Halifax route include a £10m plan for Halifax Road in Huddersfield, previously reported by the Examiner. The changes are:

Remove parking from both sides of Halifax Road from the Cavalry Arms to Birchencliffe Hill Road to enable free-flow of traffic.

Extend the southern approach lane onto Ainley Top roundabout from the Yew Tree Road junction of Halifax Road.

Consider an additional left slip road onto Ainley Top roundabout from Halifax Road.

Widen the junction of Blacker Road/Edgerton Grove Road/ New North Road and Edgerton Road.

Realignment of the Cavalry Arms junction.

Other phases include work around Halifax town centre and the railway station.