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Preliminary work to begin on Sheffield to Manchester link roads 50 years in the making


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Preliminary work on the long-anticipated A57 Mottram Bypass, a major infrastructure project that has been in the making for 50 years, is finally set to commence. The plans, which aim to create two new link roads between Manchester and Sheffield, have evolved over decades but have only now reached the stage where work can begin.

 

Preparation Work to Start Soon

 

Before full-scale construction can start, essential preparation work needs to be completed. National Highways has confirmed that this will include the diversion of telecoms cables on Mottram Moor, with work scheduled to begin next month. This initial phase is expected to run until 18th October and will cause some footpath closures in the area.


The bypass project, which will take approximately three years to complete once construction begins in 2025, is designed to ease traffic congestion and improve road safety by redirecting heavy traffic away from local roads.


Bypassing Mottram Village

 

The new road will bypass the village of Mottram, famously known as the former home of artist LS Lowry, and will extend towards Glossop. However, it will not pass through Tintwistle and Hollingworth. The A57 Link Roads project will consist of two main components:

 

- Mottram Moor Link Road: A new dual carriageway from the M67 junction 4 roundabout to a new junction on the A57(T) at Mottram Moor.


- A57 Link Road: A new single carriageway link from the A57(T) at Mottram Moor to a new junction on the A57 in Woolley Bridge.

 

Overcoming Legal Challenges

 

The project received approval from the Secretary of State for Transport last year when Development Consent Orders were granted. However, a legal challenge delayed the scheme. This challenge was eventually rejected by the Court of Appeal, clearing the way for construction to begin next year.

 

Addressing Congestion and Safety Concerns

 

The A57 and A628 routes between Manchester and Sheffield are notorious for heavy congestion, which impacts both economic growth and local communities.

 

According to a spokesperson from National Highways, the current traffic issues are not only a barrier to economic development but also pose safety risks for pedestrians and disrupt the daily lives of those living in the area.

 

"Much of this heavy traffic travels through local roads, disrupting the lives of communities and makes it difficult and potentially unsafe for pedestrians to cross the roads. These issues will only get worse with time if significant improvements aren’t made," the spokesperson said.

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  • SheffieldForum changed the title to Preliminary work to begin on Sheffield to Manchester link roads 50 years in the making

I think it's fantastic that finally this project will see a permanent reduction in congestion around this area, driving down travel times for years and years to come. Real value for money.

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5 hours ago, SheffieldForum said:

Preliminary work on the long-anticipated A57 Mottram Bypass, a major infrastructure project that has been in the making for 50 years, is finally set to commence. The plans, which aim to create two new link roads between Manchester and Sheffield, have evolved over decades but have only now reached the stage where work can begin.

 

Preparation Work to Start Soon

 

Before full-scale construction can start, essential preparation work needs to be completed. National Highways has confirmed that this will include the diversion of telecoms cables on Mottram Moor, with work scheduled to begin next month. This initial phase is expected to run until 18th October and will cause some footpath closures in the area.


The bypass project, which will take approximately three years to complete once construction begins in 2025, is designed to ease traffic congestion and improve road safety by redirecting heavy traffic away from local roads.


Bypassing Mottram Village

 

The new road will bypass the village of Mottram, famously known as the former home of artist LS Lowry, and will extend towards Glossop. However, it will not pass through Tintwistle and Hollingworth. The A57 Link Roads project will consist of two main components:

 

- Mottram Moor Link Road: A new dual carriageway from the M67 junction 4 roundabout to a new junction on the A57(T) at Mottram Moor.


- A57 Link Road: A new single carriageway link from the A57(T) at Mottram Moor to a new junction on the A57 in Woolley Bridge.

 

Overcoming Legal Challenges

 

The project received approval from the Secretary of State for Transport last year when Development Consent Orders were granted. However, a legal challenge delayed the scheme. This challenge was eventually rejected by the Court of Appeal, clearing the way for construction to begin next year.

 

Addressing Congestion and Safety Concerns

 

The A57 and A628 routes between Manchester and Sheffield are notorious for heavy congestion, which impacts both economic growth and local communities.

 

According to a spokesperson from National Highways, the current traffic issues are not only a barrier to economic development but also pose safety risks for pedestrians and disrupt the daily lives of those living in the area.

 

"Much of this heavy traffic travels through local roads, disrupting the lives of communities and makes it difficult and potentially unsafe for pedestrians to cross the roads. These issues will only get worse with time if significant improvements aren’t made," the spokesperson said.

Sounds good hope they can work it out? 

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5 hours ago, AndrewC said:

I think it's fantastic that finally this project will see a permanent reduction in congestion around this area, driving down travel times for years and years to come. Real value for money.

 

29 minutes ago, gaz 786 said:

Sounds good hope they can work it out? 

 

 

I noticed you liked my post. Personally, I was being sarcastic, though possibly a little unfairly.

 

This will be pretty good for the people in that village and will address a fairly nasty bottleneck but road infrastructure projects are rarely good value for money, and positive impacts tend to be short-lasting. The benefit of quicker progress through the area when driving between Manchester & Sheffield will lead to increased numbers of people using that option (over alternative modes, trains etc, and alternative routes M62 etc), so congestion will build on the new roads too.

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