‘Milestone moments’ have been reached on the major Hull city centre scheme
“Milestone moments” have now been reached on the A63 Castle Street project in Hull with work now moving on that will see the new underpass “evolve over the next few months”. Progress is becoming “increasingly visible” on the £355m scheme with work still on track to be completed by Spring 2026, just over six years after it began.
National Highways says the project will “improve port access, reduce congestion and enhance safety as well as connections between the city centre and tourist and recreational facilities”. A key part of the scheme is the creation of a new junction involving lowering the level of the A63 at Mytongate to create an underpass with Ferensway and Commercial Road crossing the dual carriageway with a split-level junction.
Meanwhile, the eastbound carriageway is being widened between Princes Dock Street and Market Place. The footbridge at Porter Street is also part of the project.
Since February, 4.5 million litres of concrete have been poured to complete the base of the underpass, which has been built with 14 slabs. Meanwhile, props installed more than 18 months ago to support construction of the base and walls have been removed. Since they were put in place in December 2023, the National Highways team has removed 45,000 cubic metres of earth during excavation of the underpass – the equivalent of 3,000 full lorry loads.
Isaac Banfield, assistant project manager – major projects, enhancements at National Highways, said: “Completing the 14 pours and removing the support props are milestone moments which required a great deal of planning. We are now able to progress to the next key phases of work on the underpass, including the wall panels.
“The underpass section will evolve over the next few months, from structural works to roadworks, which is great progress. There will be some big changes visually as we start to the see the roadworks take shape and work towards completing the split-level junction and connection from Ferensway to Commercial Road.”
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Elsewhere, the drainage has been connected underground between the underpass and the dedicated pumping station next to Trinity Burial Ground. At the burial ground itself, “redevelopment work continues at pace including work on brick walls, landscaping, planting and pathways”.
The site is set to be returned as a public space, featuring a number of the original headstones. Hundreds of trees, plants and shrubs have also been planted at William St Gardens with new footways and community spaces created along with the installation of play equipment.