Jock's Lodge road junction scheme to benefit from HS2 funds - minister

The improvements are due to be completed by the end of 2026

A road junction in East Yorkshire is one of the first schemes to benefit from cash saved from cancelling part of HS2, the government has said.

Roads minister Richard Holden confirmed the £86.9m Jock's Lodge junction scheme near Beverley would go ahead.

The Department for Transport is providing £40.7m for the plan, which will add a new roundabout to the A1079.

Rishi Sunak said ending plans for HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester would free about £36bn for other projects.

Mr Holden said the Jock's Lodge scheme was a "really important project" and was a "downpayment" on the Network North plan the Prime Minister announced.

"He said that cash from HS2 would be redirected to local road and rail schemes right across the north of England and this is the first one getting the green light from the Treasury," Mr Holden said.

He said the final business case had now been approved and the scheme could go ahead, with the aim of reducing congestion and improving road safety.

Roads minister Richard Holden said the scheme would cut congestion and improve safety

Although Mr Holden said the funding was a result of HS2 savings, the government had agreed to finance the scheme in 2018 and reaffirmed that commitment in the 2022 Autumn Statement.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council leader Anne Handley said: "This is a huge project, and when it's finished, drivers will see a vast improvement on their journeys and spend a lot less time sitting in traffic."

The authority is funding the remainder of the costs of the scheme.

The Jock's Lodge junction links two of the area's busiest roads - the A164 (Beverley to the Humber Bridge) and the A1079 (Hull to York).

The improvement scheme includes:

• A new roundabout along the A1079 and a new road connecting it with the Lincoln Way/Minster Way roundabout in Beverley

• Two new roads, travelling northbound and southbound, which will connect the new A1079 roundabout with the A164 further south, near Coppleflat Lane, Bentley

• The A164 will also be widened into a dual carriageway between Coppleflat Lane and the roundabout with the B1233 Harland Way, Cottingham.

Work on the improvement scheme is due to begin next year and is expected to be completed in late 2026.