A major engineering feat taking the Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route Scheme (FARRRS) link road over the East Coast Mainline has been completed.

Three pairs of 80 tonne steel beams were lifted into position by a 1,000 tonne crane and the decking is now being put down on the 42 metre long bridge which spans the track.

This is the largest of the six bridges included in the £56m link road and the second bridge over railway lines following the completion of the bridge over the Brancliffe to Kirk Sandall (BKS) line in the autumn last year. Three of the other four bridges over the River Torne and Mother Drain are also substantially complete and construction of the new junction where the three mile link from Junction 3 of the M18 meets the existing road network at Parrott’s Corner on the A638 south of Doncaster has started.

Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, said: “FARRRS is a key driver of jobs and growth in Doncaster and the Sheffield City Region. It unlocks swathes of new development along the route and will be the catalyst for sustained growth at our international airport.

“Doncaster is taking off as an investment hotspot with projects like FARRRS and the National College for High Speed Rail set to enhance our credentials to investors, developers and companies across the globe. We are driving our economy onwards and upwards.”

The first phase of this important Sheffield City Region infrastructure project will speed up journey times to Doncaster Sheffield Airport promoting passenger and freight growth and encourage more businesses to locate at the new Enterprise Zone. The link road also enables major private sector developments like Verdion’s £400m strategic rail interchange – better known as iPort – and Harworth Estates 1,200 new homes development on the former Rossington Colliery site to get underway.

Tim Love, Director of Strategic Land at Harworth Estates, the developer behind the 1,200 home residential development at the former Rossington Colliery, said: “We’re delighted at the speed that FARRRS is being built, typified by the beam lift work taking place well on-time. All of this work will allow the construction of new homes to begin in the Spring, complementing the economic growth that FARRRS is supporting for the benefit of the Borough and its residents.”

Preparatory work for the second phase including surveys and design has started. This will complete the FARRRS link to Doncaster Sheffield Airport delivering further economic and transport benefits. Subject to approval, these works will start shortly after the first phase is completed in early 2016.

The first phase of this Doncaster Council led FARRRS project received financial assistance from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, 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. The main contractor is Carillion and the designer is Mott MacDonald.

For more information on FARRRS, go to: www.doncaster.gov.uk/FARRRS