A new road project is planned for the UK that will improve transport between the cities of Manchester and Sheffield. The planned £200 million bypass will reduce delays on the main route between Manchester and Sheffield.
Balfour Beatty Atkins has been appointed as delivery partner by Highways England. The firm will design and construct the new bypass, which will help to reduce traffic volumes in the village of Mottram in Longdendale.
A public consultation on the scheme is now being planned for this winter, and a planning application is due to be submitted next year. If the plans are approved by the government then work on the project could start by spring 2023.
Around 25,000 vehicles/day currently travel along the A57 through Mottram, including over 2,000 HGVs. The village is on the key 40km trans-Pennine route between Manchester and Sheffield, connecting the M67 in the North West to the M1 in Yorkshire.
The new dual carriageway would run from the end of the M67 (junction 4) and through a new underpass to the north of Mottram in Longdendale. The road would then join the A57 east of the junction with the A6018 (Black Moor).
A new single carriageway road is also planned to link the A57 from Mottram Moor to Woolley Bridge, taking traffic away from the current route of the A57 along Woolley Lane.
Andy Dawson, Highways England’s project manager, said: “The bypass is part of a series of improvements we’re planning to improve journeys on the trans-Pennine route between Manchester and Sheffield, along the A57, A628 and A616.
“We can now start the detailed design work for the bypass and expect to be able to hold a public consultation on our proposals this winter.”
Highways England has unveiled plans to deliver £14 billion of projects over the next five years, increasing the quality, capacity and safety of the motorways and major A roads that have helped keep the country going during Covid-19 pandemic.
Almost £11 billion will go into improving journeys by repairing and replacing parts of the strategic road network which connects the country, largely built in the 1960s and 70s.
Four major road schemes are due to be completed in the North West by spring 2025, and another five major projects are planned to start construction including the Mottram bypass.
Work also started earlier this year to improve the flow of traffic and increase capacity at Westwood roundabout in Tankersley, on the stretch of the Manchester to Sheffield route near the M1 in South Yorkshire.
Highways England is widening the approach roads at the junction and adding an extra lane on the roundabout to increase capacity, as well as installing traffic lights to help reduce congestion and make journeys more reliable.
New electronic road signs are also being installed along the A628 (Woodhead Pass) to provide drivers with early warnings of closures due to bad weather or other incidents.
