Chancellor pledges start on A57 upgrade

Rachel Reeves said that work will start in the coming weeks on the £250m improvement programme between Manchester and Sheffield, a project in the works for close to half a century.

Reeves’ announcement follows moves in the summer by National Highways and main contractor Balfour Beatty to get the scheme onto the starting blocks for 2025.

First floated in the 1970s, the Mottram Bypass has been the subject of two consultations, one in 2017 and the other in 2020, and is now known as the A57 Link Roads project, including as it does two link roads.

On a visit to the North, Reeves and secretary of state for transport Louise Haigh also examined progress on the Transpennine Route  Upgrade programme aiming to cut journey times between Manchester and York via Leeds and Huddersfield.

The ongoing TRU programme has a headline aim of cutting journey times between Manchester and Leeds from 50 to 42 minutes, with up to six fast services every hour. Services from Manchester to York will also be cut by 10 minutes.

The western part of the route has seen an electrification programme improving journey times between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge.

Once complete, the full 70-mile TRU route will be fully electrified, which the DfT said will help save 87,000 tonnes of carbon each year.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “This major investment in our roads and railways will mean better connections between Greater Manchester and key towns and cities across the Pennines.

“After years of failed promises, it’s a real statement of intent from this new government that will provide quicker, more reliable journeys for millions of people, and help to unlock the enormous potential of the North as an engine for growth.”

To describe the A57 project as “long awaited” would be a severe understatement, but the government said that work will start in the coming weeks, “giving certainty to road users that the scheme and its benefits will finally start to be delivered”.

Reeves said: “Investment in our transport infrastructure is vital to delivering our growth mission. Without improvements to our roads and rail we won’t be able to create jobs and boost business, which is why I prioritised projects like the Transpennine Route Upgrade and the long awaited A57 upgrade in the Budget last week.”

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: “Reliable, well-connected transport links are crucial to driving up productivity and unlocking opportunities for jobs, education and businesses across our towns and cities.

“But for too long, the North’s transport infrastructure has been neglected. That’s why I am delighted the Chancellor’s first Budget secured the delivery of two multi-billion-pound projects that will be vital for rail and road journeys across the North of England.”