Highways England has selected engineering consultancy WSP to carry out a technical study of the Trans-Pennine Tunnel, aimed at addressing some of the biggest challenges facing the road network in the UK.

The proposed tunnel between Manchester and Sheffield reduces journey times between the two cities by half.

In addition to focusing on boosting the strategic and economic case for a package of transport schemes, WSP will assess the case for capacity improvements to adjacent sections of the road network, and new strategic links to the east and west of the route.

All five routes join the M60 east of Manchester to the M1 north of Sheffield, with four options starting at the M67. The routes will see journeys cut by 30 minutes.

“It is gratifying to see the recommendations from our earlier study having been accepted in full and then Highways England appointing WSP to undertake this follow-on study.”

The latest work builds on studies previously carried out by the WSP team on behalf of Highways England and Transport for the North (TfN), which were published at the end of last year.

The studies assessed the feasibility of a full tunnel route and alternatives to it across the Pennines.

WSP project director Nasar Malik told placenorthwest.co.uk: “This study essentially flows from the recommendations we made on the TfN Wider Connectivity study in 2017.

“The knowledge and experience we brought from the initial Trans-Pennine Tunnel study, as well as the subsequent Wider Connectivity study for TfN, demonstrated our experience and credentials in this specialist area.

“It is gratifying to see the recommendations from our earlier study having been accepted in full and then Highways England appointing WSP to undertake this follow-on study.”

WSP’s role involves transport planning, transport modelling, environmental assessment, project programme and risk management.

Part of the UK Government’s next phase of road improvements, the study is set to get underway at the beginning of 2020.