Will people still be waiting for a Snake Pass alternative to connect Sheffield and Manchester in 2221?

A few months later, however, that excitement dissipated somewhat when the weather took a turn for the worse and the reality of travelling along it in winter became clear.

As a Sheffield historian told us: “Royal Mail sometimes had to send post to Sheffield via Leeds because they couldn’t get over Snake Road."

Now, almost 200 years later, and we are still in the exact same position.

The road, originally a toll road, is closed on around 70 days of the year.

At the weekend, two motorcyclists were airlifted to hospital after being injured close to the summit of the pass, part of the A57, and the road was closed for four hours.

Nobody can deny that the Snake Pass is a stunning route with incredible scenery along the way. Motorists have told us how they love the road, and even take visitors to it, for that reason.

But it is also incredibly dangerous, with many sharp bends and blind summits.

Figures from the Department of Transport last year showed the A57 was the most dangerous road in the High Peak, the area where most of its length runs – with 137 accidents between 2014 and 2018.

Today Transport for the North says that the “Snake Pass and Woodhead Pass, while offering beautiful views, are simply not practical for modern needs.”

Yet Sheffield and Manchester still do not have a direct motorway route.

How can we possibly ‘level up’ with a 200-year-old, not fit for purpose connection between two of the north’s biggest cities? It isn’t the only route, but it is the one many – I’d argue most - people still use.

The idea of building a dual carriageway tunnel between the two was floated for a time, but it isn’t clear if this idea has been officially shelved by transport chiefs.

Will people still be waiting for a concrete plan in 2221?