Esh Construction completes Sheffield Road Cycleways and Maltby Bus Corridor projects

Esh Construction has completed two key active travel projects in Rotherham that are designed to make it safer and more convenient for pedestrians and cyclists to travel into and around the town centre.

Known as Sheffield Road Cycleways and Maltby Bus Corridor and delivered on behalf of Rotherham Council, the scheme will provide Rotherham’s residents with more opportunities to undertake journeys by bus, walking and cycling in line with the active travel initiative.

The Sheffield Road Cycleways project has delivered over 2km of new cycle routes on the A6178 Sheffield Road and Westgate between the town centre and the borough boundary at Tinsley. The route will provide a near seamless connection for cycling from beyond Meadowhall through to the Broom area.

Maltby Bus Corridor has seen the installation of 2.8km of new bus lanes and new signalised junctions with pedestrian crossings along the 8-mile route from Rotherham to Maltby. The bus corridor will bypass areas of congestion on the A631 route into the town centre and enable faster and more reliable services, particularly those linking Maltby to Rotherham and onwards to Sheffield city centre, Magna and Meadowhall.

Esh’s Divisional Director, Steven Garrigan, said: “We are pleased to bring another two schemes to successful completion in collaboration with Rotherham Council, in line with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s active travel targets.

“These types of projects require extensive logistical planning while working across online travel networks and commuter routes. Having already completed the Wellgate and Broom Road active travel project, we have created the foundations for better connectivity to the town centre and the surrounding areas.”

Councillor Robert Taylor, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy at Rotherham Council, said: “It’s so important to consider the needs of all highways users. The Maltby Bus Corridor scheme improves journey times for bus users on the A631 corridor between Maltby and the Bramley Roundabout for the M18. The Sheffield Road Cycleways scheme gives cyclists new cycle tracks between the borough boundary and Westgate in the town centre, and improves conditions for pedestrians. Two exciting schemes completed to a high standard giving Rotherham residents improved transport options.”

As part of its Constructing Local strategy, Esh re-invested £1.3 million in the South Yorkshire region through responsible procurement on the Sheffield Road Cycleways and Maltby Bus Corridor project.

Esh Construction also provided 479 hours of school engagement through its partnership with Better Learners Better Workers and RNN Academy. A total of 97 apprentice weeks were delivered and seven local residents were employed to work directly on the scheme.

Funding for the Sheffield Road Cycleways project and the Maltby Bus Corridor was secured via the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority with monies from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund.