£26m A629 highway upgrade plan between Halifax and Huddersfield reaches next milestone

Following a tender exercise, Mott MacDonald has been appointed to support the development of Phase 4 - a £25.9million project which is fully funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority through the West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund.

Phase 4 is the final stage of the A629 highways project in Calderdale and complements the other A629 schemes in Calderdale and Kirklees.

It focuses on reducing congestion at Ainley Top and improving the pedestrian, cycle and bus connectivity along the A629 route.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Strategy, Councillor Jane Scullion, said: “Using funding from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, we’ve been able to develop this major infrastructure improvement project which will also support our economic growth.

“Improving the travel experience for cyclists, bus users and pedestrians along this busy stretch of road is an important part of our overall objective to improve connectivity between Halifax and other major towns and cities.

“I’m pleased that we’ve now appointed an experienced contractor to support our detailed design work, allowing us to progress this important scheme.”

nitial outline designs for this phase were approved by the Combined Authority last year. Calderdale Council will now work with Mott MacDonald to develop a comprehensive business case with detailed modelling and structural designs.

Some of the key areas being explored as part of these designs include improved cycling connectivity with the extension of the current Hebble Trail into Halifax Town Centre, as well as defined cycle routes between Halifax and Huddersfield and connections to the new Elland station.

The plans also aim to improve bus journey times along the A629 and facilitate a possible express service between Halifax and Huddersfield. More convenient bus stop locations will also be introduced and technology will be used to enable real-time bus information.

Phase 4 also includes the remodelling of the Rochdale Road junction in West Vale and upgraded signals to both junctions to help reduce congestion. Better traffic management will also be introduced along the route to support the flow of traffic.

It is anticipated that the Full Business Case will be completed by spring 2022 and subject to approvals, it is hoped that work can start on Phase 4 scheme around summer 2022.