Major city centre road scheme set to start

Major work to return a road in Hull city centre into two lanes will start next week.

The start of works at Freetown Way will begin on the eastbound footway between Blundell's Corner and Wright Street and will take about six months, according to councillor Mark Ieronimo.

The cabinet portfolio holder for transport at Hull City Council said traffic management would be in place with narrow lanes in operation, but there would be no immediate road closures.

He said: "If congestion is the issue, having two lanes of traffic is going to help relieve some of that."

Freetown Way was reduced to a single lane in each direction when cycle lanes were introduced in 2020, but critics argued the layout was "not a suitable solution".

Preparatory work for the dual carriageway started in March, when Ieronimo said residents had requested the return to two lanes and that they wanted "more off-road cycling facilities".

He said: "There's a traffic management plan in place. People won't really notice too much difference other than the lanes being a bit narrower.

"They'll appreciate we're getting on with the works that they've wanted to see.

"We've timed this so there's the least impact on drivers, because we appreciate, especially as you approach Christmas, you don't want to be stuck in traffic."

Ieronimo said there had been "lots of engagement right from the start" on the plans with local businesses.

The scheme would include new cycle-friendly junctions at Blundell's Corner and Witham, as well as Freetown Way's junctions with Wright Street, Charles Street, Caroline Street/Worship Street and George Street.

Footways on both sides of the road between Witham and Blundell's Corner would also be widened, a council spokesperson said.

Ieronimo said the whole project was estimated to last until the end of 2028.

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