£47m road scheme ‘to improve air quality’

THE PROJECTED benefits of a £47m highways scheme in West Yorkshire will be discussed by senior councillors next week.

The Bradford Shipley Route Improvement Scheme proposes a raft of measures to cut journey times, improve air quality, reduce road casualties and make the surrounding environment more ecologically friendly.

Estimates show journey times under the scheme would drop by eight per cent for cars, vans and lorries and 12 per cent for buses.

Safety would be improved with a 35 per cent reduction in traffic-related deaths and injuries along the routes, while air quality could be improved to meet strict standards.

The project is due to be discussed at Labour-run Bradford Council’s Executive when it meets on January 7.

Officials say it will support West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s transport strategy, which aims to boost sustainable transport with a 25 per cent projected increase in bus use, 75 per cent rise in train use and cycling increased by 300 per cent.

Traffic congestion is currently a major problem on the routes, especially during morning and evening peaks.

The Bradford Shipley Route Improvement Scheme includes sections of the A650 Manningham Lane, Keighley Road, Bradford Road, the A6037 Canal Road, Valley Road and A6038 Otley Road.

Bradford Council’s Executive will look at two options, one featuring a railway bridge between Otley and Valley Road, and one without.

Alex Ross-Shaw, the council’s Portfolio Holder for Planning and Transport, said: “These proposals are not just about improving journey times along Canal Road – they will deliver wider regeneration to the area.”