Delays possible as work begins on A629 scheme

The council has funding earmarked from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to progress plans for major highway works to improve the A629 Huddersfield Road corridor from Jubilee Road through to Shaw Hill.

Plans for the road scheme, which will ease congestion, include remodelling of the junction of Huddersfield Road and Shaw Hill.

This will involve widening the highway, which requires the removal of a number of existing trees.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, Councillor Barry Collins, said: “Unfortunately, to widen the A629 at this point, we need to remove a number of trees. This is not something the Council does lightly. Replacement trees will be planted as part of a new landscaping scheme.”

Only trees directly affected by the scheme will be removed, and none of these trees are protected. Replacement tree planting will take place in adjacent areas and the area will be landscaped once highways work is complete.

The majority of the work on the scheme is around Salterhebble Hill and the Calderdale Royal Hospital and will take place in autumn, but it’s hoped that work around the junction of Huddersfield Road with Free School Lane, Skircoat Road and Shaw Hill can begin this summer, subject to all approvals being in place.

To avoid any delays due to nesting birds later in the year, work on removing the trees is starting on this weekend and continuing throughout the week. There will be traffic management in place while the work is carried out but no roads will be closed as a result of this work.