The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has addressed the lengthy A63 Castle Street project delay.
National Highways’ year long delay to the £355m A63 project, announced in December, means the ambitious plan to take a section of the road below ground level, allowing Ferensway to connect with Commercial Road, will now not be completed until Spring 2026.
Upon announcing the delay to the project, National Highways said: “We have encountered some extremely challenging ground conditions near the Humber that could not have been anticipated before the scheme began.
“Although we have continued to work at pace, it has unfortunately become clear that these unexpected conditions mean that we will not be able to hit our previously published open to traffic date of Spring 2025.”
The delay has caused frustration amongst many in and around Hull, leading to the city council’s leader Cllr Mike Ross writing to the Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, seeking direct Government intervention to, as Cllr Ross writes, “save the people of Hull more pain on our roads.”
Condemnation of the project’s delay has also come from the head of the Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce who called up National Highways to “set aside a £1 million fund to help local businesses survive for the further twelve months this work is now going to take after all the delays and damage caused to the businesses community in Hull city centre.”
Addressing the A63 delay, and Cllr Ross’ letter, the Prime Minister told the LDRS: “I do understand the frustration regarding the A63.”
Mr Starmer added that: “As I understand it, Emma Hardy (Labour MP for Hull West & Haltemprice), one of our MPs, is currently working with the council to see that it is unlocked as quickly as possible.”
Mr Starmer added: “We need to get on with this.”
By: Andrew Spence, LDRS
