‘Vital’ Barnsley road to be closed as work continues on widening scheme

The road will be closed from Harborough Hill Road to Old Tannery Road, between 7pm and 6am, and motorists are warned of delays as the road will reopen with two lanes of traffic instead of three for approximately ten weeks.

When completed, the works will result in five lanes on Old Mill Lane instead of three, in a bid to improve congestion.

A cycle and pedestrian path on either side of the carriageway will also be installed, and the bridge over the River Dearne will be widened by approximately 7m to accommodate the additional lanes.

A planning report states that the scheme is needed because the stretch suffers from “congestion, significant delay and journey time variation for buses and general traffic”.

A 2017 study found that the Old Mill Lane bridge is a “bottleneck for southbound traffic” towards the town centre, and BMBC officers say the scheme will “encourage new retail and town centre development” by improving access to the town centre.

Matt O’Neill, executive director for growth and sustainability at Barnsley Council said: “The improvements offered by SYMCA’s work at Old Mill Lane will provide a great benefit to our residents and the surrounding businesses as we look to tackle the long-term congestion problems that affect the area.

“With Old Mill Lane being such a vital route in the town, we appreciate that the initial road and lane closure will cause some disruption while the first phase of the scheme takes place.

“Further updates will follow as the work progresses.”