As 2021 begins, an important new phase for a major upgrade that will transform the way everyone travels around Hull is getting under way.
As well as delivering much better connections for road users between the centre of Hull and the retail and docks area, the £355 million A63 Castle Street scheme will create more open space for local communities to enjoy.
Work is about to begin to take down the Myton Centre which will open up the area for new planting and landscaping work, helping to connect the existing Jubilee Arboretum with William Street Park.
Highways England project manager Bernice Beckley said: “This is a really exciting time for the project, once the Myton Centre has been demolished we can landscape the area and open it up for the public.
“We are entering a significant new stage in this major scheme which will ease congestion, improve safety and enhance access to the port.
“I want to offer reassurance that we’re not expecting the demolition work to be noisy, and work will only take place during the day.”
The Castle Street scheme is a key part of Transport for the North’s strategic transport plan, and will see the construction of a new junction by lowering the level of the A63 at the Mytongate junction.
In agreement with Hull City Council, Highways England purchased the three-storey Myton Centre as a replacement for land at Trinity Burial Ground. The council has moved its staff and services to Lil Bilocca House on Porter Street.
Before the land can be used, the centre needs to be demolished, with work expected to take around one month. The inside of the building will be stripped today, with the demolition starting later in the week.
Engineers will use an excavator to demolish the centre, and water suppression to manage any dust created by the work. All Highways England sites have strict safeguarding measures, in line with Public Health England guidance, to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and none of the sites are open to the public.
Meanwhile, work that began in November to strengthen the central reservation between Mytongate and Alfred Street, to allow for construction of an underpass and diversion of a large sewer, is about to resume. The job was paused following feedback from residents and the council, so the methods could be reviewed.
This work, which will take around four weeks, starts this week and will be done overnight because the A63 has to be closed eastbound and reduced to one lane westbound for safety. Although it will be carried out between 8pm and 2am on weekdays, the noisiest activities will be done before 11.30pm to reduce the impact on residents.
For more information about the scheme visit Highways England.
