The gateway to Workington is set to benefit from multimillion improvements via the Government's Levelling Up Fund after staunch support from the Workington MP.
Mark Jenkinson MP, who championed Allerdale Council's bid from the outset, said the money would help unlock the town’s commercial potential and improve the town for residents and visitors alike.
He also supported another successful Levelling Up bid from Cumbia County Council which will see a £19.5m upgrade to the county’s highway network between Barrow-in-Furness and Cockermouth.
Mark has been campaigning for improvements to Ramsay Brow junction and Hall Brow since before his election in 2019, and some elements for over a decade.
The Workington Gateway Project submitted by Allerdale Borough Council with support from the MP, will address the infrastructure issues through Workington from the A595 to the Port of Workington.
He said:
I am delighted to learn that our Workington Gateway project has been approved by the Levelling Up Fund, delivering a further £9.6m of government funding.
This was a key pledge of my 2019 election campaign, and I am very happy to be delivering it.
Both of these investments will improve our offer locally and make it easier for business and residents. I look forward to both of these projects being delivered and the positive impact that the successful Levelling up Funding will have in my constituency.
Mark Jenkinson MP
The Workington Gateway Project will fundamentally improve road infrastructure, making access to the Port of Workington easier for large lorries.
The bid stage saw Mike Johnson, Conservative leader of Allerdale Borough Council, meet with Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison to explain why the works were necessary.
Mark also wrote to the Ms Davison urging her to support the council’s application, giving it his ‘formal priority support’ to underscore its importance.
The improvements will encourage more HGVs to use the A595 to instead of driving through towns and villages along the A596.
Ramsay Brow is a key gateway to the town, at the eastern end of the A66. However, the junction is too narrow to be used by HGVs over 55 feet long, resulting in longer journey times.
This also means high volumes of commercial traffic are funnelled along the A596, a major bugbear for the communities living along the route.
The project will also support improvements at another nearby pinch point at Hall Brow.
At present, the A596 is so narrow at this point that some large vehicles are unable to pass and must agree priority, causing further delays.
Increased highway capacity will deliver significant benefits for businesses located north of Workington, as well as for residents making local trips.
It will reduce congestion on Washington Street (A596) and make it easier for people to access the town centre.
The works will make crossing from Hall Park to the shopping centre and vice versa, opening up the town for pedestrians and pedestrians.
This will connect the Washington Square and Murray Road retail hub with the historic quarter of the town, including Hall Park, and Grade I-listed Workington Hall.
It will also help attract more visitors to the Walled Garden area of the park which will be refurbished as a Social Enterprise Centre offering horticulture, gardening and wildlife activities, while Workington Hall will finally be brough back into focus with feature lighting..
The creation of a proposed Toucan crossing on Hall Brow will make it safer for those traversing the town from National Cycle Network 72.
