Ravenscraig Infrastructure Access

The Council is developing new road and active travel routes, and seeking to make improvements to existing infrastructure, to support the development and regeneration of Ravenscraig.

The purpose of this site is to provide you with information on:

• Our proposals approved in 2021
• Our proposals for which we are seeking approval for in 2022
• The overall timing of the project
• Our next steps

This project is part of a larger infrastructure project supporting the development of Ravenscraig providing connections to the M8 to the north and to Motherwell and the M74 to the south.

Details of this larger project can be seen here:

This is one of a number of projects the Council is undertaking at Ravenscraig, including the creation of a new town park, which is now open and new active travel links, the first phase of which is due to open shortly, providing new walking, cycling and wheeling routes connecting Craigneuk, New College Lanarkshire, to the park and Sports Facility. For further information, please use the buttons below.

A revised masterplan for Ravenscraig was prepared in 2018. This plan includes:

• residential areas
• education and community facilities
• business and employment areas
• open space including a town park
• hotels
• new town centre with retail, leisure, business, housing and
• associated transport infrastructure

For more details of the Masterplan proposals please click below to direct you to the approved planning application on the North Lanarkshire Council website.

Details of the masterplan can be seen on the Council’s online planning system using reference number 18/00463/PPP.

Improvements to the transport network have been a key part of the plan for Ravenscraig from the masterplan first approved in 2005 to the revised masterplan approved in 2020. Proposals have been considered and permissions granted on a number of occasions for some of these works.

Specifically for this project, proposals have been developed for:

• a new dual carriageway connection, including a bridge across the railway, between Ravenscraig and Motherwell
• improvements to Airbles Road and the junction with Hamilton Road including completing the dualling at the western end

These improvements are needed to provide capacity in the road network to prevent future development causing negative impacts on existing communities and road users, and to support new public transport services and promote active travel.

In supporting development at Ravenscraig, the project aims to:

• Unlock the development potential of Ravenscraig
• Support a shift from car based transport to active travel modes
•  Improve connectivity across the area including to regional facilities
• Bring Vacant & Derelict Land back in to use
• Create jobs through development

The costs of the project are being met through the Glasgow City Region City Deal infrastructure fund which is funded by the Scottish and UK governments and North Lanarkshire Council. More information on the City Deal can be found here.

The project consists of four main parts:

• A new dual carriageway from Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility to Motherwell
• A new bridge crossing under the West Coast Main Line Railway
• A new junction at Airbles Road/Windmillhill Street connecting to the new dual carriageway

We submitted our detailed planning application for these works in April 2021 and this was approved in September 2022. Details of our application and the permission can be seen on the Council’s online planning system using reference number 21/00695/FUL and by clicking the link below.

• Completing the dualling of Airbles Road - we are submitting our application for these works in May 2022

Map 1 - Please use the interactive map to explore both the approved and proposed scheme. Please click points to see photographs of the existing area (orange dots) and a visualisation showing how the underbridge element of the Proposed Scheme could look (red dot).

Map 2 - The map below provides a more detailed look at the approved and proposed scheme, including the photographs and visualisations as the map above.

This map also includes a slide function. Where you are able to swipe the bar left to right by using the button in the middle. This allows you to see where the scheme will be located.

As part of the design and planning process for the works we consider the environmental impacts of the project.

We recognise the potential impacts that this project may have and have undertaken a wide range of environmental surveys of the existing area and our applications include assessments of the impact of the project during construction and following completion on:

• Air Quality
• Noise
• Ecology

The scope and methodology of these assessments have been agreed with NatureScot (formerly Scottish Natural Heritage) and the Council’s services.

The works to mitigate the impacts of the proposed works including noise and air quality including acoustic barriers can be seen on the plans.

The surveys and assessments, along with detailed ground investigations, form a key part of the design process, informing the design and specification of measures to mitigate any negative impacts and remediation strategies for any contaminated land.

The detail of mitigation, for example, for impacts of noise from the road, can be seen on the plans.

The design to date has considered the environment to ensure adverse impacts are reduced and mitigated. Various measures have been included within the design to ensure best practice is achieved including the following:

• Providing active travel routes through the works to help encourage people out of the private car
• Constructing a bridge under the railway for the new dual carriageway rather than a bridge over, reduces potential landscape and visual impacts within Motherwell
• Reducing in materials required for the underbridge, therefore reducing associated carbon emissions

Construction of any part of the project can only start once it has been approved by all relevant organisations including:

• North Lanarkshire Council as planning authority
• North Lanarkshire Council as roads authority
• Network Rail as operators of the West Coast Main Line
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• NatureScot (formerly Scottish Natural Heritage) for works affecting protected species and habitats

Our current anticipated timeline for the project is shown below and will be reviewed as the parts of the project are fully approved.

Construction will be carried out in a manner that will minimise disruption to the environment, road users and residents.  Key construction features will include:

• Incorporating environmental mitigation measures during construction
• Phasing of the works to allow some traffic movements whilst works are underway
• Planning movement of construction vehicles and machinery to minimise disruption

Traffic management will be required to construct the junction but these will be planned to minimise disruption to road users and to maintain access. We will publish details of traffic management including any lane closures, changes to routes and any temporary speed restrictions that are required to protect pedestrians and road users, and construction workers closer to works beginning.

The construction of the bridge under the railway will require the temporary closure of the railway and we are working with Network Rail to make use of a closure that is already planned so we can minimise disruption to rail passengers.

The project will be delivered as part of the Glasgow City Region City Deal which runs until 2025.

This is a large and complex project and will be delivered in a number of phases, taking place over a number of years. Works have begun on those approved parts in 2022 and the final works will not finish until 2025.

The works will begin with the creation of the railway bridge. The timing for works to start is:

• Building the bridge crossing under the West Coast Main Line Railway – works started May 2022
• Building the new dual carriageway from Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility to Motherwell and the junction at Airbles Road/Windmillhill Street connecting to the new dual carriageway – works start spring/summer 2023
• Completing the dualling of Airbles Road – works start early 2024

The timescales will be reviewed as and when each part of the project is fully approved. Where possible the Council may look to start works earlier if possible.

and the.....

......approved the business case for the project which sets out the need for the project and the economic benefits it provides.

Following the approval of the detailed planning permission for the works to create the new connection between Ravenscraig and Motherwell

Network Rail and the Council have appointed a contractor for the bridge crossing under the West Coast Main Line Railway

Works to prepare the site within Ravenscraig and to build the new bridge have commenced. The bridge will be built the coming year and it will then be moved into position and installed in spring 2023 during a line closure and the rail tracks reinstated.

Later this year we’ll begin the process of appointing a contractor for the new road connection between Ravenscraig and Motherwell to allow works to start on site next spring/summer.

We are now submitting our application for the final part of the project – completing the dualling of Airbles Road and we hope to receive approval during summer 2022.

We’d like to hear your views and to answer any questions you have. You can do this by emailing the City Deal team at:

* nlccitydeal@northlan.gov.uk 

 Or by calling:  

*075869625

If you’d like to write to us then please send correspondence to:

*Ravenscraig Infrastructure Access

*Enterprise Projects

*1st Floor, Civic Centre

*Motherwell

*ML1 1AB