Major Salterhebble road layout changes to last for 12 months as work steps up on £27.8m A629 scheme

Work on the £27.8m A629 Phase 1b scheme is being stepped up but it means that the changes highway between Halifax and Huddersfield will be in place for 12 months.

Funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Combined authority the scheme will provide two continuous lanes for traffic from Ainley Top roundabout to beyond Calderdale Royal Hospital removing the current pinch point.

Calderdale Council has said that on completion in spring 2023 the project will help improve access to Copley, Sowerby Bridge and Halifax and aims to improve journey times between Huddersfield and Halifax by up to 30 per cent.

So what is happening now?

On Bankhouse Lane work is starting on demolishing the derelict buildings near the Brewers Fayre and Bankhouse Lane. Removing these buildings will allow the road to be widened in the area to make way for a new road layout.

Bankhouse Lane will be closed to all traffic for nine months. The closure will be reviewed throughout the work and it might be that there are times when the cllsure can be suspended.

Road layout changes at Salterhebble

A new temporary road layout is in place as work starts around key areas of the scheme.

There is no right turn in to, or out of, Jubilee Road, McDonalds, the Shell Garage, Halifax Plumbers Merchant and Brewers Fayre for 12 months.

Bridge Foundations

In the area between the A629 and the B6112, near to the canal, work will start on 'piling'. This involves driving large steel sheets into the ground. This work will take around three weeks to complete and will take place through the day.

Over the next 12 months the Council will also :

Demolish the former Punch Bowl Pub to enable the carriageway to be widened

Widen and repair the river bridge at Salterhebble

Widen the carriageway and complete work on the new bridge connecting the A629 to Stainland ROad

Create a roundabout at the junction with Stainland Road

A spokesperson for the Council said: "We need to make these changes to the road layout whilst we carry out the work. We'll initially need to reduce the road width so that the work can be undertake to widen the carriageway. To keep motorists safe, it is important that the right turn is suspended.

We understand that this work might be disruptive but please be assured that after extensive traffic modelling, using this approach allows us to work safely and gives the best opportunity to complete the scheme as quickly as possible."

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