Mayor unveils ?1 billion transport plan for Teesside, Darlington, and …

A huge package of vital transport projects to transform the region has been revealed by the Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, following a funding boost of £1billion from the scrapping of HS2.

This represents the largest investment of money by the mayor in six years in office, with the money being earmarked to improve road, rail and bus travel across Teesside, Darlington, and Hartlepool.

Following a number of projects already made public, the mayor has announced at an event held at Middlesbrough Station, a headline pledge to bring 15 electric trackless trams to serve Middlesbrough, Redcar, Stockton, Hartlepool, and Darlington town centres.

This was joined by a £60 million allocation of cash to revolutionise travel in the region by investing in transport technology to reduce traffic and journey times for drivers as well as building the infrastructure for autonomous vehicles.

Money has also been pencilled in for and the A689 road scheme between Hartlepool and Stockton, alongside money for the next phase of a new Tees flyover.

This joins money for a park and ride facility and transport hub as part of a £40million overhaul of South Bank railway station to make it full accessible to service the thousands of local jobs being created on the Teesworks site.

A £20 million boost for British Steel lorry park has also been promised in the wake of the announcement that a return of steelmaking is on the way – with £40 million to boost efforts to complete vital gauge clearance work for freight on the Eaglescliffe to Northallerton railway line also supporting the development of trade through the Teesside Freeport.

Subject to Cabinet approval, a much-needed relief road to help ease Darlington’s rush-hour blues will also receive a £250 million boost as well as £30 million for the revitalisation of Middlesbrough’s iconic Transporter Bridge. Middlesbrough will also see vital work on the A66 commence.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “We have an ambitious package of improvements planned which will revolutionise travel across Teesside, Darlington, and Hartlepool. Not only will these projects make a positive difference to everyone’s day to day travel, but they will also boost our continued plan to make our region an economic powerhouse with access to good, well-paid, long-term jobs.

“Be it at Darlington Station, Middlesbrough Station, or at our airport, we can show a record of delivery – but now we can offer the promise of much, much more for the people of Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.”

A new train station, and bus interchange for Teesside Park and the Tees Marshalling Yards, at Stockton, will also receive £150million, while £20million will be put into rebuilding Teesside Airport railway station.

Money has also been set aside to assure Middlesbrough’s third platform is fully funded at pace, paving the way for more direct trains to London. The £40million would provide a new platform and additional track and signalling to enable increased use of the carriage sidings.

The full list of proposed allocations is:

Darlington Northern Link Road – £250 million
Teesside Park station, work at Thornaby Station and Tees Marshalling Yards transport interchange – £150 million
Local Highway Authority improvement funding – £83 million
Investment in the Urban Traffic Management and Control Centre and digital technology to improve traffic and pedestrian flows and safety and create a landscape for autonomous vehicles – £60 million
A package to deliver A689 corridor improvements – £50 million
Package to deliver improvements to local journeys to access employment, education and health – £45 million
Deliver infrastructure to allow direct rail services between Darlington and Hartlepool – £40 million
Deliver a package of interventions to sort A66 capacity constraints on the Middlesbrough – Teesport – Redcar route, including at Greystones roundabout, widening the A1085 Trunk Road, and work on the Tees Dock Road/Lackenby access route – £40 million
South Bank railway station improvements and transport hub park and ride facility – £40million
Deliver a new platform three for Middlesbrough Station at a faster pace – £40 million
Improving freight access to the rail network – gauge clearance work on Eaglescliffe to Northallerton line – £35 million
Work to improve roads, bridges and infrastructure on the Middlesbrough Council-owned stretch of the A66 north of the town – £20 million
Bringing the Transporter Bridge back into action – £30 million
Delivering a British Steel Lorry Park – £20 million
Deliver the redevelopment of Teesside International Airport railway station – £20 million
Delivery of 15 trackless autonomous electric trams in Tees Valley town centres – £20 million
Bus Station improvements for Middlesbrough – £15 million
More work on options for an A19 Tees Crossing – £15 million
A scheme with businesses to offer subsidised access to cars to access employment and education – £10 million
Contribution to deliver A19 junction improvements, Elwick bypass and Hartlepool Western Link – £5 million
Develop a rail devolution proposal to Government to gain more control and meaningful powers over services which run here – £5 million
Eastern Tees Crossing feasibility study – £1 million
Money to draw up a case for the electrification of the rail route between Northallerton and Saltburn – £3 million
Feasibility study to examine removing West Dyke Crossing, Redcar – £1 million
East Cleveland rail feasibility study for Saltburn to Boulby line to be opened to passengers – £1 million
Middlesbrough to Nunthorpe rail enhancement feasibility study for more services – £1 million

The funding and project allocations will be subject to a decision at Cabinet later this month.

Photo credit: Tees Valley Combined Authority

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