M18 improvements considered ahead of reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport
Upgrades are set to cost around £50m
Regional transport officials are “exploring” whether to fund crucial upgrades to the M18 junction three using part of a £1.5billion funding pot from the Government.
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) received the pot from central government earlier this year, already allocating hundreds of millions to bus franchising and the Supertram network.
However, Damian Allen, chief executive of the City of Doncaster Council, told members of the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee (OSMC) that over £600million of TCR funding was yet to be allocated.
The funding would be more than enough for the projected £50m cost of upgrading J3 of the M18, Mr Allen said.
J3 has emerged as a significant transport issue in recent months after National Highways, the UK highways agency, began issuing holding recommendations on developments planned close by.
Members of OSMC met ahead of the decision from Mayor Ros Jones’ cabinet to accept £175million of funding from SYMCA to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA).
Discussion turned to transport infrastructure surrounding the airport, including a potential rail link and upgrades to J3 which would be the primary motorway exit for the site.
The chief executive said it was “crucial that we prioritise junction three, then look at rail links”.
A spokesperson for SYMCA said: “We are assessing a range of potential investments against the objectives and guidance of the Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding allocation, as defined by the Department for Transport. Junction 3 of the M18 is one option being explored.
“We received a £1.5bn allocation to South Yorkshire including £350m to reform South Yorkshire’s buses, with franchised buses operating in Sheffield, Doncaster and Rotherham by 2027 and across the whole of South Yorkshire by 2029. Funding to renew the tram network will provide a fleet of new, replacement vehicles, modernised tram stops, as well as maintenance to improve reliability.
“SYMCA recently approved a £160m funding package (£159.52m) to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport, a vital part of our plan to drive jobs, growth and opportunities, improve our connectivity, and create a sustainable aviation and advanced manufacturing hub at Gateway East.”
Increased focus has been placed on J3 in recent weeks after the leaders of the three Chambers of Commerce in South Yorkshire wrote to the government calling for investment.
The trio, including Doncaster’s Dan Fell MBE, informed the Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander MP, there was “clear evidence” from the SYMCA and Doncaster Council that investing in and upgrading the junction was “the single most important infrastructure intervention required to realise the full economic potential of the area”.
Sources at the council have previously told the LDRS that upgrades for M18 J3, which are likely to include a new gyratory – the official name for the multi-lane roundabouts often used at motorway junctions – could cost up to £80m.
However, the business bosses said they “fully support” a “capacity-enhancement scheme” for J3 developed in partnership with National Highways, which is said to have a £50m cost attached.
The letter to the Transport Secretary read: “This deliverable, costed solution will not only resolve the current constraint but also unlock thousands of new jobs in logistics, manufacturing, aviation, and green industries.”
In response, a spokesperson for the Department for Transport told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “We’re working closely with Doncaster Council and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to support growth around Gateway East and Doncaster Sheffield Airport, and we recognise the importance of the M18 Junction 3 to those plans.”