A63 Castle Street

Latest updates

• 01 April 2021

  Footpath closures in place

  The footpath running between the A63 near Murdoch’s Connection and Waterhouse Lane is now closed so tunnelling work on a new sewer can be completed.

  The closure will allow Yorkshire Water who is carrying out the work to operate a crane away from road users and pedestrians.

  Once the work to move a large sewer pipe has been completed we can start work on building the new junction at Mytongate.

  The closure will be in place for three months, during which time a clearly-signed diversion will be in place from Ferensway along Anlaby Road and down Princes Dock Street and vice versa.

  We've also had to close access from Humber Dock Street to prevent pedestrians attempting to cross the road towards Princes Dock Street. A barrier has been installed across the junction of Humber Dock Street which will also stop traffic from accessing the A63.

  Engineers will also be building a kerb line across the road and carrying out changes to the drainage, white lining, signs and landscaping. This will ensure the pedestrian routes in the area are as safe as possible ahead of the potential reopening of bars and restaurants in the Humber Dock Street area.

  The work will be carried out during the day between 7.30am and 6pm as some of it will be noisy as we remove the existing road surface. 

  Pedestrians are also being reminded that some of the existing crossing points at William Booth House and Whittington and Cat pub have been closed to allow us to move traffic on the A63 and work more during the day to minimise disruption for residents. 

  Pedestrian routes are now in place with crossing points at Porter Street and across Murdoch’s Connection.

• 05 March 2021

  Our first virtual presentation

  We hosted our first virtual presentation for the people of Hull on Monday 1 March.

  We provided an update on the scheme, talked about what’s coming up next and provided an opportunity for you to ask the team any questions you had about the scheme.

  During the webinar a presentation was given by our team. The presentation is now available for you to download.

  If you were unable to attend but would like any information or update about the scheme then you can contact the team on the following:

  A63CastleStreet.Hull@highwaysengland.co.uk

  0333 242 3692

• 12 February 2021

  Demolition work due to start

  Work to demolish the Arco buildings in Waverley Street, Hull, is due to start. 

  In order to build the scheme, we needed some land close to Mytongate junction, and this land was identified through collaborative discussions with Arco and Hull City Council.

  We’ve also been working closely with Arco since September 2020 to look at the process we’ll use to build the underpass using the western car park.

  Before we can use the land, we need to demolish the Arco buildings, this will start week commencing Monday 15 February 2021. The first part of the process is to strip the inside of the building and disconnect services which will take approximately four weeks, this is followed by the actual demolition work. The demolition process is expected to be complete by the end of spring.

  Work will take place during the day only, we’ll be using an excavator to demolish the building and although there may be some noisy activities we are not expecting disruption to be long lasting. We’ll also be using water suppression to manage any dust created by the demolition.

  Once the demolition has been completed we’ll use the area as a construction compound for the underpass at Mytongate. As well as using the area for a number of silos and other equipment we need to undertake this work, we’ll also use it for storage and as a welfare area.

  Work to set up the compound will be ongoing until the summer and we’ll need to use this area until the scheme construction is completed in 2025 when we will hand the land back to the owners, Hull City Council.

• 21 January 2021

  Weekend closure planned

  We’ll be closing the A63 between Ferensway and Roger Millward Way over a weekend to allow us to complete various aspects of work, minimising disruption for residents.

  The work includes:

  • excavation of the central reservation so it can be hardened ready for traffic to use
  • we’ll be removing the hoardings around Murdoch’s Connection and carrying out inspections in preparation for it opening
  • Yorkshire Water will be carrying out their work to reroute the sewers so we can construct the new underpass
  • we’ll be carrying out repairs to Myton swing bridge

  This work will take place between 8pm Friday 29 January 2021 to 6am Monday 1 February 2021. 

  This will allow us to minimise disruption for residents living close to the scheme by completing noisy activities over a weekend so we can complete the work quicker and cause less disruption going forward.

  Some of the work is expected to be noisy but we will try to keep this to a minimum where possible.

  We’ve also been working closely with Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council to minimise disruption for drivers on the diversion route.

  We’d encourage those that do need to travel over that weekend to allow extra time for their journey and to follow the clearly signed diversion route in place.

  Once the work has been completed we’ll close Commercial Road between access to the Holiday Inn and Kingston Street for around three weeks for the following:

  • to allow Yorkshire Water to connect to an existing sewer that is in the middle of the road
  • Northern Gas Networks will be installing a new gas main
  • Northern Power Grid and KCOM will be installing new ducting which protects the underground cables

  There will also be a closure of Myton Street from 6am on Monday 1 February to allow Yorkshire Water to divert the sewer. This closure will remain in place until the scheme has been constructed, access to Myton Street will be from Osborne Street. 

  You can see the latest information about the scheme in our newsletter.

• 22 December 2020

  Demolition of Myton Centre

  We’re due to start demolishing Myton Centre week commencing Monday 4 January.

  The area which previously belonged to Hull City Council is being used as a new public open space.

  The first part of the process is to strip the inside of the building with the actual demolition of the building due to start later the same week. The whole process is expected to take four weeks to complete.

  Work will take place during the day only, we’ll be using an excavator to demolish the building and aren’t expecting it to be noisy. We’ll also be using water suppression to manage any dust created by the demolition.

  Once the demolition has been completed the area will be landscaped and turned into public open space, connecting the existing Jubilee Arboretum with William Street Park.

  Well also be restarting work to strengthen the central reservation. This work will begin again week commencing Monday 4 January 2021 and will be carried out overnight. This is because we need to close the eastbound A63 and reduce the westbound A63 to one lane for safety. Although we will be working between 8pm and 2am on weekdays we are limiting the noisiest activities to before 11.30pm to reduce the impact on local residents. We expect that this work will take four weeks to complete.

• 18 November 2020

  Our response to customers

  We would like to apologise to the residents of Hull who were disrupted by our work that took place on Friday 13, Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November.
  
  In order to improve the pedestrian access along High Street to the Fruit Market area we needed to install some sheet pile walls. These are walls built to keep the earth, water or any other material from falling into the area.
  
  Why were you working overnight?
  
  We were unable to carry out the work during the day because we were working next to the Magistrates Court. The court has sessions on weekdays and sometimes on Saturdays and Sundays. We couldn’t disturb these ongoing sessions.

  Another reason we were unable to do the work during the day was because we needed to close a lane of the A63. We discussed with the local authority whether we could close one side of the carriageway, but it was felt that this would cause too much disruption. This is due to the higher number of vehicles using the road using the day and other work in the city centre.

  This restricted us to carrying the work out overnight.
  
  Why was it so noisy?
  
  We were carrying out piling work which can be noisy. The level of noise depends on various things such as the nature of the ground, size of piles and the layout of buildings in the area – affecting how the noise travels and echoes. We were using large piles and the ground was resistant which meant it was particularly noisy.

  We looked at different type of piling which is generally less noisy, however this would’ve taken over a month to complete. We felt the best option was to do the work over just one weekend.

  Who did you tell about the work?
  
  A few weeks before the work took place we sent letters to residents living in nearby streets.

  • Church Lane Staithe
  • Trinity Wharf
  • Liberty Lane
  • Blanket Row
  • Market Place (up to South Churchside)
  • King William House
  • Queen Street (as far as Humber Street)
  • Castle Street (north side as far as Fish Street)

  We have reviewed the letter-drop area and next time we will consider sending letters to more properties, as we recognise that the noise travelled further than expected.
  
  What steps were taken to monitor noise?
  
  During this work Hull City Council were monitoring noise-levels.

  We are putting-in noise monitors along the entire length of the scheme. At some of our sites we already have mobile ones. We’ll be agreeing the noise thresholds with the local authority.
  
  How do you intend to improve things next time?
  
  We’ll be doing more noisy work over the coming months, including more piling activity. We accept the noise level this time was very disruptive and we are looking at how we can improve this for residents in the future. We will:

  • Avoid working overnight wherever possible.
  • Work together with the local authority and speak to businesses and others early-on, so that we can find the best way to minimise disruption.
  • Send letters to more properties, across a wider area - to let more people know about the work before it happens.

  We will continue to carefully consider the impact that the work has on the travelling public – to ensure that we don’t cause major delays.

   

• 22 October 2020

  Large tents appear at Trinity burial ground

  Two giant tents which both stand at seven metres tall and are unmissable at 3,512 metres square and 962 metres square have been erected at Trinity Street burial ground.

  Both of the tents, which have a combined length of 135 metres and are in some places as wide as 50 metres, are likely to be in place for around 12 months at the 237-year-old burial ground, which lies partially within the area of the scheme.

  There are currently 25 archaeologists working on site in a safe and socially-distanced manner, and over the course of the project this will increase to a team of 85.

  The careful and sensitive process of exhumation has started and is expected to take just under a year.

  

  Pedestrian improvements to High Street underpass

  We’re upgrading the pedestrian access from Market Street, and along High Street to the Fruit Market area adjacent to Queen Street. This work is necessary as we will be removing the existing A63 crossing at Market Street next year.

  To carry out the work we’re installing a sheet piled wall next to the Modern Court building and the footpath nearby, parallel to the A63. The work will be carried out overnight on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November so it will be outside of the courts working hours which is nearby.

  This work is likely to cause some noise, however we’ll do everything we can to minimise that disturbance.

  Old Town improvements get under way

  Work starts this week on closing the access on to the A63 from Vicar Lane, Fish Street and Dagger Lane. We’ll be providing a turning head on each of these streets to enable traffic to turn around. They will be constructed using cobbles to ensure they match the existing surfacing to maintain the feel of the conservation area.

  As part of this work South Churchside will also become a two way road. We won’t be altering the surfacing but there will be a small loss of on-street parking, however there won’t be any changes to the disabled parking.

  

  The work will be carried out between 7.30am and 6pm weekdays and 8am until 1pm on Saturdays.

  Details of the closures

  Work will start on South Church Side and Robinson Row on Friday 23 October for a week. This will create a two way street from Market Place to Robinson Row and the priority at the junction of Fish Street/South Church Side will be changed.

  From Monday 26 October access from the A63 to Grammar School Yard will be closed. We’ll create the new access first and work is expected to take around six weeks.

  From Monday 2 November we’ll be closing access on to the A63 from Vicar Lane. A new turning head will be created and pedestrian access will not be affected. This is expected to take around four weeks.

  In the new year work will start on closing off access from Fish Street. A new turning head will be created and work will start on Monday 4 January. It is expected to take around four weeks.

  We’ll be created two way access between Dagger Lane and Princes Dock Street on Posterngate from Friday 8 January for around a week.

  On Wednesday 4 January for four weeks we’ll be closing access from Dagger Lane. It will become two way from Robinson Row to the A63 and the two way will remain from Robinson Row to Posterngate.

  Princes Dock Street will become one way from the A63 junction from Monday 1 March. The work is expected to take around a week to complete.

  Whitefrairgate/Parliament Street and North Church Side/Trinity House lane will remain unaffected.

  Specialist equipment arrives at Arco

  As you’ll be aware the nature of the ground in Hull is rather soft in places due to the soil deposits along the flood banks of the River Humber. The scheme requires a complex engineering solution in order to construct the underpass which will eventually replace the existing junction at Mytongate.

  This solution includes the installation of underground walls either side of the underpass known as diaphragm walls, concrete foundations to help us stabilise the ground and prevent any water getting into the underpass and treatment of the existing poor ground.

  In order to prepare for this part of work, which won’t start until next year, some work to perfect the solution is taking place in the southern car park of the Arco site at Waverley Street. This site has been selected as the ground conditions are very similar to those in which the final work will take place in the centre of the underpass.

  Arco have been kind enough to allow our contractor Balfour Beatty to use the car park as the trial area to determine how these solutions perform in this ground.

  To carry this out several specialist pieces of equipment including a drilling rig and large crane style excavator are being delivered to the site. This work started in September and will last until the end of January 2021. Work will be limited to daytime hours and we’ll monitor noise and vibration caused by the work to ensure it is kept to a minimum.

  

• 11 June 2020

  Development Consent Order granted

  The development consent order application, which is similar to planning permission, was granted on Thursday 28 May 2020. Further information on the application can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

  The scheme boundary can be found under the media and documents section.

  We've also started building the landmark pedestrian footbridge at Princes Quay, accessible to pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users, crossing the A63 between Princes Dock to the north and Humber Dock (Hull Marina) to the south. More information on this can be found on the Princes Quay Bridge webpage.

  The DCO comes into force on Thursday 18 June and we’ll then start work to mobilise the main office at Wellington Street, divert utilities to enable construction and begin preparing Trinity Burial Ground in order to install the tent required for the archaeological work.

  Project newsletters will be issued on a regular basis going forward

• 01 April 2020

  Development Consent Order - decision anticipated spring 2020

  We’re currently awaiting a decision on the development consent order by the Secretary of State. Construction of the scheme is expected to begin soon after the decision.

  We’ve submitted our development consent order application back in September 2018 and further information on the application and the process can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

  The scheme boundary can be found under the documents section.

  Princes Quay footbridge

  We've also started building the landmark pedestrian footbridge at Princes Quay, accessible to pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users, crossing the A63 between Princes Dock to the north and Humber Dock (Hull Marina) to the south. More information on this can be found on the Princes Quay Bridge webpage.

  Landscaping proposals

  Over the last two months we’ve held a number of events to gather people’s views about the landscaping of the Myton Centre and Jubilee Arboretum areas. Following these events we’ll further refine the detailed design and will carry out the work as part of the wider scheme.

  Archaeology at Trinity burial ground

  A temporary boundary fence is already in place in Trinity burial ground with some site investigation and preparation work taking place. This is due to be completed by the end of March. Archaeologists will also begin to measure and record the physical features of the burial ground including the walls, tombs and burial markers.