£2.5m bid to ease Bradford bottleneck (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Council applies to transport fund to reduce traffic in Canal Road

9:00am Tuesday 26th February 2013 in News By Rhys Thomas, T&A Reporter

Highway bosses in Bradford have made a bid to the Government for £2.5m to help reduce traffic congestion on a major route in the city.

The Department for Transport has announced £170m worth of funding to tackle ‘pinch points’ at junctions across England.

Engineers in Bradford have identified the junction of Canal Road and Stanley Road in Bolton Woods as best-fitting the criteria set by the Government.

The cash is being targeted at locations where existing congestion problems are stifling economic growth by holding back development.

Councillor Howard Middleton (Lib Dem, Bolton and Undercliffe) welcomed the bid as a short-term solution, but claimed bigger plans were needed in the long run.

“I think anybody would welcome anything that is done on Canal Road,” he said.

Coun Middleton said getting “the road network right” was crucial to future developments in the area.

“Businesses don’t want somewhere with horrendous traffic congestion. Canal Road is the main link between Shipley and Bradford, but it is difficult to see how you could get new businesses there if they cannot get their goods out efficiently.

“I would welcome this as a small first step, but longer term there has to be a bigger plan for sorting it out.”

If the grant is successful, the alterations will form the first phase of a planned major improvement scheme for Canal Road and support the development proposals set out in the New Bolton Woods Masterplan.

The intention is to widen Canal Road to a dual carriageway on the approaches and introduce traffic signals at the junction to regulate the flow from Stanley Road.

Most of the land in the area is already owned by the Council and the 30 per cent funding (just over £1.1m) needed to reach the total cost of £3.6m can be sourced from the local authority’s capital budget which has a provision in it for match funding transport schemes that aid regeneration.

Coun Val Slater, executive member for housing, planning and transport, said: “The Canal Road/Stanley Road junction has been chosen because we believe it has the best chance of being awarded a grant.

“We hope we will be successful but the Pinch Point Fund is relatively limited and many local authorities will be applying for money as well.”

If the grant bid is successful the work is expected to be completed in 2015.