Connections made on road to jobs and growth
Important connections are being made on the Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route Scheme (FARRRS) link road which will transform the south of Doncaster by removing the barriers that for decades have restricted access and held back regeneration.
Significant progress has been made at Junction 3 of the M18 where the three mile stretch of road meets the motorway network and work is well underway to construct the six new bridges needed to make the link to Rossington and to the A638 Bawtry Road at Parrott’s Corner.
These include two bridges spanning the East Coast and Brancliffe to Kirk Sandall (BKS) railway lines and four over the watercourses that currently make access to this part of Doncaster so difficult.
Just last week, beams were lifted into place at the bridge which will carry a new link over the River Torne and connect FARRRS to Rossington at West End Lane. This Rossington link will enable work to start on Harworth Estate’s development of 1,200 homes on the former Rossington Colliery site and also bring Rossington close to the job opportunities created by Verdion at its adjacent £400million iPort development.
Access to support the construction of both of these developments will be provided ahead of the opening of the full route in early 2016. As well as enabling these key projects to be developed, FARRRS will see journey times to Doncaster’s Robin Hood Airport dramatically improved.
Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster, said: “I am delighted to see good progress being made with FARRRS. The route will see significant levels of private sector investment into major projects along the link road and at our international airport. Bringing new jobs and economic growth to the borough are vitally important and this regeneration project is certainly driving Doncaster and the wider Sheffield City Region forward.”
As well as assistance from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, the Doncaster Council led regeneration project has backing from private sector partners Harworth Estates, the Peel Group and Verdion and is supported regionally by the Growing Places Fund and the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
Carillion is the main contractor delivering the scheme.