Bradford Council set to green-light roadworks worth £143m
Better bus infrastructure and a long-awaited footbridge are among several major road schemes across Bradford which are expected to get the green light later.Officials will approve £143m-worth of work, with projects including major changes to Kings Road, a new footbridge linking Steeton to Silsden, and new bus lanes on Leeds Road and Westgate.The money is part of a £5.7bn government pot of cash distributed to councils for transport projects.A report being discussed by Bradford Council's decision-making executive says the works will contribute to a "safer" and "sustainable" transport network - but also warns there will be "temporary disruptions" from each phase of work.
Projects getting the go-ahead include the long-planned footbridge over the busy A629, linking Steeton and Silsden.The bridge has been in the planning stages for well over a decade, and will get £12.9m funding from the programme. However, this will only be for Phase 1 – the actual bridge.The eventual plan is for new pedestrian and cycle paths linking the two villages. However, the report going to the executive stresses no funding has so far been allocated for that phase, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.Bradford Council said around £35m of the funding would also go towards extensive improvement works on Kings Road, which runs from Wrose to Bradford city centre.
'Temporary disruptions'
Another £20m will be used to create a "sustainable transport corridor" on Wakefield Road, and £4.2m will improve "bus hotspots" at Westgate and near the Thornbury Gyratory close to Leeds Road.And £57m of the cash, all of which will be distributed by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, would be spent on general highways repairs, the council said.The report being presented to the executive says: "Safer, well-designed transport networks can help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour by increasing the presence of people in public areas."By providing and promoting sustainable travel options, the programme also offers alternatives to private car use, potentially improving community safety by mitigating issues around driver behaviour, such as speeding or congestion."However the report warns the extensive round of works "may bring temporary disruptions".The council said it would "seek to mitigate risks to community safety" by managing the works and pedestrian access.This next major phase of roadworks for Bradford comes after the recent completion of regeneration works in the city centre which caused significant disruption for more than a year, with many businesses expressing concerns.However traders have been more hopeful since the works were completed.
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