HIGHWAYS Agency officials have pledged to keep traffic flowing on Hull's busiest road during a four-year improvement scheme.
Details of the proposed £160m upgrade of Castle Street go on show at a two-day public exhibition later this week.
With Government funding now committed for the scheme, construction work is currently scheduled to start in October 2015, subject to final planning approval.
It involves lowering a section of the road, which normally carries 54,000 vehicles a day, and building a new access route between Ferensway and Commercial Road above it.
Now, the Mail can reveal the Highways Agency plans to:
Keep a minimum of one lane open in each direction at all times.
Avoid lane closures between 6am and 8pm, Mondays to Saturdays.
Only carry out full or partial closures overnight or at weekends.
Highways Agency project manager James Holmes said: "The A63 Castle Street is one of the busiest sections of road in East Yorkshire, and provides an important link between the M62, the Humber Bridge and the Port of Hull.
"These improvements, if approved, aim to provide more reliable journey times and improve safety, as well as reducing the impact of the barrier between the city centre and nearby tourist and leisure facilities that Castle Street creates.
"We have been working closely with Hull City Council, local landowners and other key partners to design the scheme in more detail and we are now seeking the views of the local community on our plans as we work towards applying for development consent."
The project, which also includes three new footbridges, will remove all the current sets of traffic lights between Myton Bridge and the Daltry Street flyover.
A report produced by the Highways Agency says two grade two listed buildings previously earmarked for demolition as part of earlier proposals – the empty Earl De Grey pub and the former Castle Street Chambers offices – will now be retained as part of the new scheme.
However, a section of the Holy Trinity burial ground in Castle Street will be cleared to make way for the new road.
The report says: "Burials in the path of the proposed road will be removed with appropriate care and arrangements made with the church authorities for their reburial in a suitable location.
"The remaining part of the burial ground will be made more accessible to the public by improving paths and installing panels providing information on its history."
Details of the Castle Street improvement scheme will be displayed at a two-day public exhibition starting on Friday.
Officials from the Highways Agency and project consultants will be on hand to answer questions on both days at the Mercure Royal Hotel, in Ferensway.
Friday's session runs from 1pm to 8pm and Saturday's session runs from 10am to 4pm.
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