Sheffield traffic: 11 measures to improve buses, cycling and walking on A61 at Heeley, Woodseats, Meadowhead

They include new pedestrian crossings with traffic lights, up to 24-hour bus lanes, fewer parking spaces, six right-turn bans in Woodseats, to stop cars holding up buses, and closing bus laybys so services are no longer delayed as they wait to re-enter traffic.

Meanwhile, bus stops are set to be upgraded and ‘bus priority signalling’ will further reduce journey times.

Heeley Bridge will become three lanes wide by losing a pavement, so it matches the width of the road before and after the span over the River Sheaf.

A new footbridge on the east side will ‘maintain pedestrian right of way’, Sheffield City Council says.

The authority says the A61 Chesterfield Road between Meadowhead and Heeley is a key arterial route, but a range of issues affect the quality and reliability of buses including congestion at Meadowhead and Woodseats.

A report states: “Our proposals aim to make bus travel and active travel options, such as walking, wheeling and cycling, attractive to more people.”

They include creating a safer cycling link between the centre of Woodseats and the current end of the Sheaf Valley Cycle Route on Little London Road.

Other plans include closing a bus layby near the Esso petrol station above Heeley Retail Park. Buses will remain in the traffic and won’t have to wait to pull out again.

A bus lane on the approach to Woodseats could become 24 hours-a-day to stop parked cars delaying buses.

In Woodseats, six right-turns into side roads will be banned for traffic heading towards the city centre, and up to eight on-street parking spaces will go, to tackle congestion along the A61, which delays buses.

At Meadowhead, the road will be widened on the approach to the roundabout from the city and an unpopular subway will be filled with concrete and replaced by a crossing and a new traffic lights.

The authority also wants to tackle cars queuing to get into St. James Retail Park, which cause delays to buses and general traffic.

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The plan is to extend the right-turn and left-turn lanes on Bochum Parkway and relocate Bochum Parkway crossing that is used by Meadowhead school and make

Finally, the Greenhill Avenue and Greenhill Main Road junction will get traffic lights and a new pedestrian crossing.