A61 OLD MILL LANE

Published 20 August 2021 at 1:16pm

Status: Under construction

Expected completion: Q2 2026

Indicative cost: £15m, as of 10 June 2025

Main funding stream: Transforming Cities Fund (£11.07m)

Delivery and other partners: Barnsley Council, Turner and Townsend, Arup.

Contractor: Balfour Beatty.

Scheme description

As part of the A61 Barnsley to Wakefield Bus Key Route work, a modelling exercise, feasibility study and option selection report were undertaken to review potential measures to improve bus journey times and reliability on this busy bus corridor. Key delay points were identified at a number of junctions along the route and several key interventions were proposed, including bridge and carriageway widening, a dedicated bus lane and junction and signalling improvements.

Proposals are to widen the existing Old Mill Lane Bridge to provide a new five-lane arrangement, including a designated southbound bus lane. The widening will increase the traffic capacity on the bridge as well as providing an opportunity for future active travel provisions with both footway widths increased to 3m across the bridge for potential shared footway/cycleway use.

The objectives are to:

• better connect areas in a safe and sustainable way;
• affect a mode shift away from the private car on those corridors where new opportunities are likely to see an increase in demand or where growth could be stifled;
• improve bus and general traffic journey times during peak periods on the A61 corridor in the area of Wakefield Road;
• achieve the above in ways that address current health issues and improve air quality across South Yorkshire.

Completed project stages

Business Case submission

We asked for views on our proposals for the scheme in a public consultation held between Monday 26 July and Friday 3 September 2021.

• Read a summary of the consultation feedback (PDF 1Mb)

Online Q&A sessions were held on Tuesday 10 August and Tuesday 17 August 2021. You can read a summary of the sessions in the documents below:

• Q&A Summary - A61 - 10 August 2021 (PDF, 188kb)
• Q&A Summary - A61 - 17 August 2021 (PDF, 189kb)

Feedback from the consultation helped to develop our full planning application for the Scheme, which was submitted to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council on 22 October 2021.

Planning approval was granted on 22 December 2021.

Current work

Work commenced on Monday 19 February 2024 to allow the work site to be established. The first major task was to set up the traffic management and carry out the existing bridge parapet hydro-demolition works.

Work is progressing well, and the new Bridge beams have now been placed in position, the bridge deck has been cast and the river access road formed. Drainage works have commenced, and gas meters have been relocated. Work has started to achieve road formation levels and ground stabilisation works are also underway.

Useful documents

A full record of endorsements and approvals is held on file at our offices.

If you have any comments about this scheme please get in touch.