Major Ravensthorpe road set to close next week for over two months as Dewsbury phase of multi-billion pound Transpennine Route Upgrade begins

The road will be shut from Monday, April 8, to both vehicles and pedestrians while work takes place on the Dewsbury leg of the major project, as the TRU reminds road users to plan their journey ahead of time.

As part of these plans, the train station at Ravensthorpe will be relocated approximately 300m west of its current position, allowing passengers to board services going to or from Wakefield.

The road closure, which will extend from Veolia Dewsbury Service Centre to 153 Ravensthorpe Road, will allow for the next stage of the upgrades, while access to Veolia will be maintained throughout this period and pedestrian access past the worksite will be available via the public footpath.

Over the ten-week period, Yorkshire Water, on behalf of TRU, will finalise their connections to an existing water main beneath the road, allowing a new road layout and bridge to be constructed in the future. To reduce the impact on the community and reduce the need for additional closures, Northern Power Grid will also complete work involving the connection of high voltage cables.

Additionally, from Tuesday, April 2, a range of work will also take place along Fall Lane.

Paul Sumner, senior sponsor on Transpennine Route Upgrade said: “We know that closing roads, bridleways or public footpaths, especially ones like Ravensthorpe Road that are heavily relied on by the local community, is far from ideal and I would like to thank everybody for their support and understanding while this work takes place.

“As part of the ongoing upgrades being completed by TRU, Ravensthorpe Station will be relocated approximately 300m west of its current position, providing the opportunity for trains going to or from Wakefield to call at the station. Additionally, a new forecourt with blue badge spaces, drop off point and step free access will be built.

“Unfortunately, for us to achieve this, it does mean that there will be occasions when road closures need to be implemented. When this occurs, we’ll always do our best to carefully plan the work so that we can re-open it at the earliest opportunity.”

Progress has already been made in Ravensthorpe with the site being cleared, while archaeology and historic mining mitigation work have also been completed.

To raise awareness of the closure and to allow the local community to plan their journey ahead of time, warning signage has been in place since Friday, March 29. Additionally, signposted diversion routes will be established along the route with clear directions of the best route to take.

Staff will also be on site on the following days and times, with an additional 30 minutes before and after each shift to complete preparation and clear up work: Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and 8am to 1pm on Saturday. There will be no work taking place on Sundays.

Anyone who uses this route is encouraged to check roadworks.org for the latest information and the most up to date diversionary routes.