Tees Valley unveils ?1bn transport package puts focus on roads

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen has unveiled a £1bn transport package for region the region, funded by City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement cash, with the majority set aside for roads.

The Tees Valley Combined Authority said the package followed ‘a funding boost of £1billion from the scrapping of HS2’ but the majority of the central government funding was allocated long before the decision last autumn to curtail the high speed rail link.

It added that the announcement 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.

The authority highlighted that, subject to cabinet approval, a new relief road will receive a £250m boost.

It also pledged to bring in 15 electric trackless trams to serve Middlesbrough, Redcar, Stockton, Hartlepool, and Darlington town centres.

Baron Houchen said: ‘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.

The full list of proposed allocations, which are subject to a decision at the authority’s cabinet later this month, is:

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

The Tees Transporter Bridge has been closed since August 2019 due to safety concerns

Despite the claim of ‘a funding boost of £1billion from the scrapping of HS2’, the region was originally allocated £617m of a total £8.8bn in the second round of the CRSTS (CRSTS2) announced at Spring Budget 2023 and covering 2027/28 to 2031/32.

In October, the Government announced an additional £8.55bn of funding available for CRSTS2, with only an extra £361m for the Tees Valley, taking its overall allocation to £978m.

HS2 has not been scrapped.