REVEALED: Roads in Sheffield which could benefit from £100m upgrade
The Government yesterday unveiled plans to create what it calls a 'Major Roads Network', unlocking cash to help councils ease congestion on the nation's 'busiest and most economically important' local authority A roads.
Under the scheme, councils will be able to bid for up to £100m from the national roads fund, which is supported by vehicle excise duty, for each road within the network they wish to enhance.
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Hide AdAs well as cutting tailbacks, it is hoped the money will support house-building and promote economic growth.
Some 5,000 miles of road are included in the network under initial plans, based on the latest traffic data, but a 12-week public consultation was launched yesterday to help decide which highways should make the cut.
Within Sheffield, the A61 running from north to south, much of the A57, and the A6102, A630 and A631 all make the provisional list.
Not all sections of A roads within Sheffield are included, however. Only the western section of the inner ring road makes the list, while the stretch of the A57 Sheffield Parkway between the city centre and its junction with the A6102 is not included either.
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Hide AdElsewhere in South Yorkshire, the A630, A635 and A638 around Doncaster are included, as are the A630 and A633 through Rotherham, and the A628, A635 and A6195 in Barnsley.
Transport secretary Chris Grayling said: "Improving the roads in this network will enable more reliable travel for road users, more certainty over freight deliveries and more capacity for the journeys which are the lifeblood of our economy.
"This investment can improve quality of life by opening up land to allow much-needed housing and the development of bypasses to relieve communities of intrusive traffic."
The Major Roads Network will be different from the existing Strategic Roads Network, comprising the country's busiest thoroughfares, for which Highways England is responsible.
To view the plans and take part in the consultation, visit www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposals-for-the-creation-of-a-major-road-network.