DfT Road Investment Strategy - Sheffield Chamber Transport Forum comment

2nd December 2014

Tim Hale, Chair of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce's Transport Forum, and Chairman of Yorkshire-based Champion Hire Ltd said: -The Government's announcements on transport investment, coming as part of the autumn statement, are to be welcomed.

-In our area, the proposals for improving the A628 Woodhead Pass and the A57 Mottram bypass, together with the short section of dualling at the A61 Tankersley, is very positive news. Additionally, the long term possibility of a tunnel under the Peak National Park are exciting steps forward in linking Sheffield with Manchester. -However, we must not think that creating additional road capacity is the only solution to the problems we encounter. Moving freight off the roads would also be an enormous boost to freeing up the road network, and it is the combination of road AND rail infrastructure investment (East-West as well as North-South) that will help the Northern cities become the Powerhouses that they should be. -At the same time, we recognise that the Peak Park is a nationally significant resource, and we welcome the environmentally sensitive way in which the studies for these proposals have been, and will be, conducted. In the event that a major tunnel is eventually constructed, it needs to have top quality connections at both ends, and ideally accommodate both road and rail. -We urge the government to conduct its feasibility study on this within a short timescale - perhaps one year - so that planning and construction can take place quickly thereafter. We don't want another Stonehenge-length tunnel investigation!