Work started today to improve the A63 Castle Street, which will
create a much better connection between the city centre and the
retail and docks area.
This major Highways England project will support Hull’s economic
growth, improve journeys to and from the city centre, and help
the Port of Hull to flourish.
Highways England chief executive Jim O’Sullivan said:
We are really pleased that we are now starting this
long-awaited project. This major upgrade will greatly improve
journeys into Hull and the Port of Hull.
Transport Secretary said:
We’re working right across the country to level up
infrastructure and the upgrades to the A63 Castle Street will
provide the right tools to support Hull’s economic growth.
As Northern Powerhouse Minister I welcome this vital
improvement, which has the potential to cut journey times,
improve reliability and boost businesses in the North.
Castle Street is a key scheme in Transport for the North’s
strategic transport plan, and will see the creation of a new
junction by lowering the level of the A63 at the Mytongate
junction.
Peter Molyneux, Major Roads Director at Transport for the North,
said:
It’s great to see on-site works commence on this vital project
just a few months after it was confirmed in the March 2020
Budget. This scheme will have a significant impact on local
connectivity, reducing congestion and opening up the waterfront
area for people and freight.
Alongside other road and rail schemes across the North the A63
scheme is part of Transport for the North’s long-term vision
for a sustainable, multimodal transport network that will
support economic growth in our region for years to come.
The improvements will also see Ferensway and Commercial Road
cross the A63, creating a split-level junction. The eastbound
carriageway between Princes Dock Street and Market Place will be
widened to three lanes, and a new bridge built over the A63 at
Porter Street.
Work has begun at the Trinity Burial Ground, and a compound will
be set up as offices on Wellington Street West.
Work at the burial ground, which lies partially within the area
where the scheme improvements need to be carried out, is being
done with permission from the Church of England. Contractors are
relocating monuments and removed walls in a careful and
respectful manner, and are installing hoarding.
Councillor Daren Hale, portfolio holder for economic regeneration
and planning at Hull City Council, said:
To see this long-awaited scheme finally start on site is a
momentous occasion for this city. Over the past 20 years, we
have worked hard to bring this crucial transport upgrade to
fruition. This long-term investment will deliver significant
benefits for those thousands of motorists who use this arterial
route on a daily basis.
Meanwhile Hull’s new bridge, which will be named after the city’s
first female GP Dr Mary Murdoch, opens this summer, having been
built in advance of the main scheme to ensure connectivity during
the work. It will connect the city centre to the marina,
waterfront and fruit market. The bridge is going to cross the
dual carriageway of the A63, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to
safely cross the road, as well as reducing congestion on the A63.
