Ring road delays on the way

Jan 17 2008 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

MOTORISTS are facing months of delays on the Huddersfield ring road.

The Examiner has learned that Kirklees Council plans to strengthen the Unna Way underpass – named through Huddersfield’s town-twinning with Kries Unna in Germany – at Northgate.

Repair work would take up to six months.

The council’s highways service inspectors found that the underpass, which was built in 1970, needs extensive maintenance work, including waterproofing, joint replacement and pointing.

Huddersfield area councillors are being consulted on three proposed plans for the area, which includes Northgate, Castlegate and Lower Fitzwilliam Street.

All three roads have two lanes running in both directions.

Option A would cost £1.82m and last 24 weeks.

For the first six weeks Castlegate would have one lane open each way and Lower Fitzwilliam Street would be reduced to one lane westbound.

Council officers estimate this would increase traffic waiting times by 25%.

In the second six weeks both roads would be single-lane westbound, which would lead to a 12% rise in queuing times.

All lanes would be open for the final 12 weeks, with only a nominal effect on congestion.

Option B would cost £1.76m and take 19 weeks.

The first six weeks would be identical to Option A. But in the following six weeks there would be a 168% rise in queue times with all three roads reduced to one lane in one direction while keeping two lanes open the other way.

In the final phase waiting times would rise 102%.

Option C is the cheapest and quickest choice, costing £1.66m and taking 14 weeks. But it would also cause the longest delays.

In the first eight weeks Northgate would be down to one lane southbound while Castlegate would be closed westbound and reduced to one lane eastbound. This would cause queuing times to soar by 225%.

In the remaining six weeks each of the three roads would have two lanes open in one direction and one lane in the other. This would increase waiting times by 106%

Greenhead ward councillor Mehboob Khan thinks Option A – which would have the least impact on queuing times – is the best.

He said: “It minimises disruption and would cause the least congestion on the ring road, so the extra cost would be money well spent.

“I think motorists in Huddersfield would be very upset by Option C which would lead to an increase in queue times of 225%.”

Clr Khan asked anyone wanting to have their say to email him at mehboob.khan@kirklees.gov.uk

The Kirklees Cabinet will make a decision in March.

Clr Khan said that whatever option was chosen he would like updates when each stage of the work is completed.

He said: “I want to keep the pressure on, to make sure that the contractor is keeping to schedule.”

The Kirklees Labour leader warned that traffic could be affected right along the ring road. He said: “My fear is that the work will cause delays effecting every junction on the ring road.”

Clr Khan said the maintenance had to be carried out. He said: “If the work wasn’t done then, in the worst case scenario, the underpass could become dangerous and have to be closed.”

The Government’s Transport Department will pay for the work.

Kirklees also wants to strengthen fencing and retaining walls elsewhere on the ring road.

From June to November work costing £1.8m is proposed around the Castlegate slip road, on New North Road and Fitzwilliam Street, which will require lane narrowing.

The area around the bus station would also be repaired, which will mean night-time lane closures.

There would be repair work in the Chapel Hill/Manchester Road area.