Highways England picks preferred option for Trans-Pennine link road
Highways England has chosen its preferred option for a new link road linking the M67 and the A57 at Mottram Moor as part of its wider £242m Trans-Pennine route upgrade programme, with construction set to start in 2020.
There had been two proposed options for new roads in the area between Hattersley and Hadfield: Option A, a dual carriageway link road running from the M67 terminal roundabout to a junction with A57 at Back Moor, as well as a new single carriageway road from the junction to another on the A57 at Brookfield; and Option B, a dual carriageway from the M67 to the A57 near Coach Road.
Highways England has now decided to proceed with Option A for the link road, which it said “performed best in terms of community impact and had the most support from those taking part in the consultation”.
According to the consultation, 50% of respondents backed Option A, while 33% backed Option B, with respondents suggesting that the first option would provide an easier and more straightforward road route than Option B.
The Mottram Moor link road is classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and Highways England will need to make an application for a development consent order for the project to go ahead.
A consent order is expected to be submitted by winter next year, with a decision expected in spring 2020. Work on the road is due to start in 2020 subject to the necessary consents being granted.
The public consultation also asked about two proposed options for the dualling of the A61 – the first, to stop all right turn movements at minor road junctions; and a second, to stop most right turns except those from the A61 into Westwood New Road and Wentworth Way.
However, Highways England said it would “look again” at the proposals after 50% of consultees offered no response, but added it would go ahead with improvement works at the Westwood Roundabout to improve traffic flows.
The study and the consultation documents for the project were prepared by Arcadis.
A 2015 feasibility study suggested the package of works would cost around £170m, but this has since increased to £242m as the designs and options for the Trans-Pennine upgrades have been developed.
Is that the tunnel under the Peak District they were talking about?
Its a bit shorter than I imagined!
By Unaplanner
WHY AREN’T THEY JUST EXTENDING THE M67 TO MEET THE M1??????
By Kayla Bibby
Kayla Bibby, Its called the Peak District. Its a National park. You might have heard of it?
By Mis-Manager
Kayla Bibby is right. Just continue the M57 across to the MI as presumably originally intended with a few tunnels where necessary. Surely this is preferable to a link road that simply shifts the traffic jams, congestion and fumes at the roundabout at the end of the M57 further east to where it will join ‘ordinary’ roads?
By Ian Christie
Long since overdue..Read no other two conurbations, of their size and so CLOSE to each other, in all of Europe, have poorer connectivity!! Sheffield feels further away from Manchester than it really is.
By Schwyz
Kayla…you’re young…stop concerning about infrastructure assets and hit the pubs and clubs….
By Monty Con
Exactly Iain Christie, this is typical of Highways England, they have no teeth or vision whatsoever, always half a job. Or in this case not even a fraction. The proposal above is absurd and doesn’t address the actual needs.
If the government was serious about the Northern Powerhouse then the M67 should just be completed as originally intended – job done!
But they’re not and this is what we get…
See full route map here: http://www.pathetic.org.uk/unbuilt/m67_manchester_to_sheffield_motorway/maps/
By Kayla Bibby