What is the purpose of the black bags being installed up Salterhebble Hill

This is when roads around Salterhebble Hill will be closed for resurfacing

Jonathan Taylor, Vice President of the European Investment Bank, joined West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee Chair Councillor Kim Groves and Rob Summerfield, Calderdale Council’s Lead for Major Projects, to see the installation of the new living wall at Salterhebble Hill.

The new living wall will be a vertical garden that aims to improve the air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.

It will be underpinned by 5,500 growing bags of which over 3,000 have been installed so far.

Work on Salterhebble Hill will be completed early next year

The next steps for the living wall are to complete the placement of the growing bags, which contain soil removed during the widening excavation and nutrients, and then to spray the wall with hydroseed.

Coun Kim Groves, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee said: “Through our West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund we have already spent over £90 million on schemes like the A629 project, designed to speed up journeys by reducing congestion which in turn supports inclusive growth and the creation of new jobs across the Leeds City Region.

“Improving air quality is a key aim of the Fund and this planting at Salterhebble Hill, will achieve that by absorbing carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide along this stretch of the route.”

How Calderdale has coped with 12 months of 'roadwork hell' on Salterhebble Hill

Calderdale Council and the Combined Authority’s ambitious scheme to tackle congestion along the A629 includes widening Salterhebble Hill to four lanes.

Over 5,000 tonnes of soil and rubble were removed to make room for the additional lanes and over 500 steel nails, which if placed end to end would stretch 3km, have been screwed into the rock to secure the remaining hillside.

As well as widening the highway and building a living wall, the A629 Salterhebble to Shaw Hill project includes new traffic light technology, junction remodelling and improved active travel facilities, to deliver benefits and safer journeys for public transport users, pedestrians and cyclists.

Coun Barry Collins, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, said: “We’re the first council in the North to introduce such an innovative living wall to our roads. It will encourage clean air and will look brilliant!

"Our overall work at Salterhebble is a key part of the Council’s Next Chapter programme, which will see major projects delivering regeneration and economic growth throughout Calderdale and beyond.”

The six-phase A629 scheme will help reduce congestion, improve journey times, boost public transport use and improve cycling and walking conditions along this key route between the towns of Halifax, in Calderdale, and Huddersfield, in Kirklees. In Calderdale, the scheme will also deliver improvements in Halifax town centre, including bus and rail interchange opportunities, an improved bus station, new bus routing and improved quality public areas.

The scheme is being supported by £120m investment from the Combined Authority’s £1 billion West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund.