The second phase of Great Yorkshire Way which will complete the direct link from the motorway network to Doncaster Sheffield Airport has started.

Representatives from the public and private sector partners who have delivered Great Yorkshire Way celebrated by ‘breaking the ground’ on this new section this week.

Coordinated by Doncaster Council and funded by the Sheffield City Region Investment Fund (SCRIF), the second stage of this key regeneration route will create a one mile connection from Bawtry Road to Hurst Lane.

This will see Great Yorkshire Way become one quick and easy access road straight to Yorkshire’s Doncaster Sheffield Airport, further reducing journey times to the airport and accelerating development in south east Doncaster.

The new section will also provide additional cycle and pedestrian facilities and link new residential areas and the development area surrounding the airport to existing facilities and the town centre.

Cllr Bill Mordue, Cabinet Member for Business, Skills and Economic Development, said: “Great Yorkshire Way has been a true partnership between the public and private sectors and a real success story.

“We always knew Great Yorkshire Way would be the catalyst for substantial economic growth and the evidence is clear to see. Doncaster Sheffield Airport continues to hit new highs in terms of passenger numbers, growth at iPort has been staggering with further large scale development in the pipeline and people are enjoying living in high quality homes which enjoy great access to the motorway network.

“The second phase is the final piece of the economic jigsaw which will help stimulate further jobs and create substantial additional economic benefits and growth for Doncaster and the Sheffield City Region. Great Yorkshire Way is quite simply one of the biggest regeneration schemes of its kind in the UK.

“With the successful Yorkshire Wildlife Park planning a huge expansion and a European Tour backed golf complex lined up close by too – this is an exciting time for development in Doncaster.”

Chris Scholey, Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Board Member, said: “I’m delighted to see this important link get underway – it will transform the region even further. The way to get things done is through the Sheffield City Region. In a decade, we have built innumerable business partnerships, smoothed alliances between the public and private sectors, and created highly-efficient regulatory systems – we make it really easy to get things done here.”

Steve Gill, chief executive of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: “The Airport has just experienced its busiest year on record. Great Yorkshire Way is already attracting new passengers from across Yorkshire and the North Midlands as they benefit from reduced journey times and recognise the superb customer experience that we offer. Our passengers are enjoying the increased choice available with new and existing carriers, most notably the introduction of low fares carrier Flybe which recently celebrated one year of operation and is proving particularly popular. This final piece of the jigsaw will mean that journeys to the airport are even quicker and easier.”

Caroline Flint, MP for Don Valley, said: “This is so much more than just one mile of additional tarmac. The final leg ensures travellers sweep from the M18 to the airport car park in minutes, making Doncaster Sheffield Airport one of the most accessible airports in the UK. With its central location – over 6million people within a 60 minutes journey – it is no wonder we have the fastest growing airport in the UK. And with iPort growing at an incredible rate, Great Yorkshire Way illustrates why Doncaster is one of the best places to invest. We have a 21st century inland port and logistics hub taking shape on our doorstep.”

Iain Thomson, Harworth Group’s Associate Director, Partnerships & Communications, said: “Investing in infrastructure to improve access to key assets is the best way of securing economic growth. Doncaster Council has once again taken a leading role in making this happen through managing the entire Phase 2 process and we’re confident it’ll lead to more jobs and an acceleration of housebuilding.”

Andy Brown, Operations Director for Carillion Civil Engineering, said: “Carillion is delighted to be involved in the continuation of the Great Yorkshire Way. The strength of the relationships forged during the preparation and construction of the first phase will, no doubt, form the basis of a successful outcome for Phase 2. We now look forward to engaging with stakeholders and in particular the local community. Our work on Phase 1 created jobs for apprentices and graduates and made a real contribution to the local economy and we will work hard to build on that success.”

Dan Fell, Chief Executive Officer at Doncaster Chamber, said: “It is great news that the second phase of construction on the Great Yorkshire Way is getting underway. This news will boost local business confidence and further enhance Doncaster’s reputation for outstanding connectivity. The Chamber has worked closely with partners for a number of years to make the case for this scheme; this is because Doncaster Sheffield Airport remains a unique and important regional asset, but also because this critical access road will enable further inward investment into the region whilst also facilitating growth at other anchor businesses such as the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.”

John Clements, European Development Director at Verdion, said: “It is a logical and necessary upgrade to better connect the airport to the surrounding region which should bring further economic benefits to the area.”

Nigel Morley, Project Manager for Mott MacDonald, said: “We are extremely proud to have supported Doncaster Council and its partners throughout this project. The opening of Great Yorkshire Way was a great testament to the collaborative effort of the whole team and its success in overcoming several significant challenges along the way. The strength of that teamwork has carried through into the second phase and we are very excited to see all the hard work and commitment come to fruition.”

The main section of Great Yorkshire Way – a three mile link from junction three of the M18 to the A638 Bawtry Road – opened on 29 February 2016 and has already had a major economic impact.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport continues to enjoy record-breaking success with over 1.3million passengers flying to destinations across Europe and beyond in the last 12 months. Great Yorkshire Way has helped by bringing an extra one million potential passengers to within a 60 minute drive of the airport.

Verdion’s £500million iPort has seen 2.34million sq. ft. of high quality space taken by Amazon, Ceva, Fellowes and Lidl. Work is now starting on an additional 3million sq. ft. of space at its rail freight interchange and logistics park. This includes a second facility for Amazon which will employ 1,500 people.

New homes are going up on Harworth Group’s former Rossington Colliery site. Harron Homes and Taylor Wimpey have welcomed people into 60 new homes. A further 100 properties will be built in the next 18 months with another 1,040 homes planned in later phases.

This impact on the local and regional economy has seen Great Yorkshire Way land a string of prestigious awards. The latest being the Award for Promoting Economic Growth at the 2017 Planning Awards.

The second phase of Great Yorkshire Way will cost approximately £10.55million with £9.1million contributed by SCRIF and the balance coming from Doncaster Council’s Capital Programme. Carillion have been appointed as the main contractor for the scheme designed by Mott MacDonald and the council’s Strategic Infrastructure team. Tarmac is Carillion’s joint venture partner on the project.

Great Yorkshire Way is a central part of the Sheffield City Region Growth Plan which aims to stimulate economic growth and create 70,000 jobs over the next 10 years.

People can find out more about the scheme at: www.doncaster.gov.uk/greatyorkshireway