Two of the most high-risk roads in England are to receive £9.5m in funding to improve safety, including carriageway stabilisation, improved visibility and signage.
Derbyshire’s A57 Snake Pass will benefit from £7.6m and £1.8m will go towards the final phase of safety improvements on the A583 Blackpool Road in Lancashire.
The department for transport said that over the next 20 years, the funding was expected to prevent more than 93 fatal and serious collisions on the Snake Pass and three on the Blackpool Road, as well as reduce congestion and lower emissions along both routes.
Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said: “Anyone driving on the A57 Snake Pass knows how risky it can feel.
“Now this iconic road, as well as the A583 Blackpool Road, will benefit from life-saving road improvements, making journeys safer for thousands of road users across the North, and more peace of mind for their loved ones.
“To go even further, we’re delivering our first road safety strategy in over a decade, to ensure the UK’s roads remain among the safest in the world.”
South Yorkshire’s mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: “The Snake Pass is a vital connection between Sheffield and Manchester, connecting two of the biggest cities in the north.
“It’s a road that’s used by thousands of us every day, but one that’s been plagued by closures, stop-start repairs and an uncertain future.
“I would like even better connections between the big cities of the north, but this funding is an important step in the right direction, helping to create safer, more reliable journeys, and protecting a fundamentally important connection across the Peak District.”
