A US-style highway might cut in half the journey-time in between Sheffield and Manchester, a council conference heard.
By Eddie Bisknell, Local Democracy Reporter
Published 21st May 2023, 10:51 BST
Updated 21st May 2023, 10:52 BST
But it is susceptible to extreme weather condition and frequently nearby snow and has actually been afflicted by 3 landslips in the in 2015 which closed it totally. It resumed with traffic signal, a weight limitation and single lane running – however closes once again for a week from Monday May 22.
In contrast, the path in between Austin and San Antonio in Texas, which is two times the range, takes simply 1hr 15m, according to Coun Nigel Gourlay. The distinction is a six-lane highway.
He said: “In the USA, the route between Manchester and Sheffield would be connected by a good-sized highway.”
Chris Hegarty, of the council’s public transportation group, said: “Building a motorway through the centre of a national park would be very difficult to do and may not be able to get through the planning process. People would keep digging tunnels to stop you building it. I’m not saying that kind of capacity isn’t needed but it would be very difficult to do.”
The conference likewise heard the train in between Manchester and Sheffield takes 52 minutes, while the longer 48-mile journey in between Amsterdam and Rotterdam takes 41 minutes.
In 2020, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that Highways England (now National Highways) discovered that a 25-mile tunnel connecting Manchester and Sheffield would cost as much as £12bn however might reduce journey times in between the M1 and M60 to about thirty minutes.
