Hull’s huge Castle Street improvement scheme has had its planning deadline extended until May 31.
The £355 million project - the largest the city has ever seen - was one of five applications mentioned in a statement laid in parliament.
It told how it “has been necessary to extend the deadlines for decisions to allow for further work to be carried out before they are determined by the Secretary of State”.
Considered at a level that goes beyond local planning remit, the Highways England-led upgrade has already had the green light from the Treasury - as part of last month’s Budget - and had been due a decision from Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on March 31.
In the fortnight between then and Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s red brief case debut, the extent of the coronavirus pandemic became clear, with the Planning Inspectorate deadline expiring.
It was not clear whether the agenda-overtaking global issue was the reason, but the fact it is not in isolation suggests so.
At the core of the project is a complete transformation of the existing Mytongate junction - used by 47,000 vehicles a day in normal times.
The main A63 east-west route through the city centre to the industrial east will be lowered under a new carriageway linking Ferensway and Commercial Road.
The section between Princes Dock and Myton Bridge will be widened to three lanes while another pedestrian footbridge will be constructed at Porter Street.
All of the existing traffic lights are to be removed between Myton Bridge and the Daltry Street flyover along with the ground-level pedestrian crossings.
It is joined in Mr Shapps’ inbox by the Lake Lothing Third Crossing in Lowestoft; West Midlands Strategic Rail Freight Interchange in South Staffordshire; and two separate duallings of the A303, at Sparkford to Ilchester and Amesbury to Berwick Down.
All have individual new deadlines set, though decisions earlier could be a possibility.
