Issued by City of York Council
One of the largest single investments in York’s transport infrastructure has been given the green light by the Department for Transport (DfT) – paving the way for works to start on two Park & Ride sites and an outer ring road roundabout upgrade from next month.
Phase one of the £22.7million project will now commence following Full Approval being granted today (28 March) confirming that the DfT will provide £15.3m of funding, approximately 70 per cent, of the overall project costs.
The scheme will enhance York’s Park & Ride network, which already provides over four-million journeys every year. The Askham Bar Park & Ride site will be replaced with a much larger facility providing capacity for 1,100 vehicles. A new site will also be developed on the A59 near Poppleton providing initial capacity for 600 vehicles.
Both services will provide frequent 10-minute bus journeys in/out of the city centre. A major upgrade of the A59/A1237 outer ring road roundabout will also be undertaken as part of the project.
Pre -construction and clearance works were carried out earlier this year following Cabinet approval in January 2012. The main construction works will commence in April with the sites being operational from Spring 2014, in advance of the world’s largest sporting event – Le Tour de France Grande Départ – which will be hosted in York in July 2014.
Cllr Dave Merrett, Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Sustainability, said: “Access York is critical for the future economic prosperity and environmental wellbeing of the city, so this is a pivotal moment for the city. It’s staggering to think that we first started consulting with residents on proposals to develop a new Park & Ride on the A59 in 2002. So it’s fantastic that 10 years on this is now a reality.
“The £22.7m overall project represents one of the largest single investments in the city’s transport infrastructure since the northern ring road was built. This was a crucial stage for the scheme and we’re pleased to announce that the DfT have confirmed they will be providing 70 per cent of the overall project funding.”
Details of the scheme are available on the council’s website at york.gov.uk/parkandride.
The council will announce the details of the contractor and proposed start dates in early April. Further updates detailing traffic management arrangements, will be provided as the construction of the project progresses.
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