Sheffield inner relief road, South Yorkshire
- Client: Sheffield City Council
- Principal designer: Street Force – Sheffield City Council
- Principal contractor: Birse Civils
- Contract value: £40 million
About the project
The 1.5km Sheffield inner relief road creates new links and directs traffic away from the city centre. The scheme rose to the challenge of bringing heavy engineering into an inner-city site. It includes the construction of a dual carriageway through a busy area with heavy traffic, railway bridge, river bridge, retaining walls, high-quality public realm works, and the demolition of 43 buildings.
The railway bridge has been finished in the livery of the old railway company, and the 15-metre-high retaining wall clad with stone and brick to create a ‘gateway’ to reflect the area’s railway heritage. The road itself was built to city-centre standards with high-quality paving and tree-lined boulevards. Alternatives to the car have been encouraged by bus corridors, dedicated lanes, shelters and bike stands.
The scheme has delivered on many fronts, including safety, savings of some £3.2 million, and minimal disruption to the public.
Judges' comment
"A new generation of relief road that appears more like a boulevard than a bypass."