New road safety measures are a step closer after Hull City Council awarded a contract to design schemes to improve Lowgate, in the Old Town, and the A165.

In a decision record, published on Monday 9 October, the council has appointed Pell Frischmann Consulting Engineers Limited to develop a full design and oversee the process needed to get the schemes delivered. 

The Lowgate scheme is in response to a request from the city’s coroner after Rebecca Kirby tragically died after being struck by a car when crossing Lowgate on the evening of 27 August 2021. 

As part of the design phase, a feasibility study of Lowgate will be undertaken to identify the best option in terms of safety measures that can be introduced, with the aim of boosting public safety in an area of the city popular for its night-time economy.

Pell Frischmann Consulting Engineers Limited will also design a scheme of works for the A165 to create safer routes for all road users to use and enjoy.

The council was recently awarded £2.99million through the third round of the Government’s Safer Roads Fund (SRF) to improve safety on the A165 (Freetown Way, Witham, Holderness Road) corridor, which has been identified as high-risk.

The Safer Roads Fund was introduced by the Department for Transport (DfT) to support road safety in England as part of a wider package of investment into Britain’s transport network.

The A165 is a heavily used part of the city’s road network to and from the east of the city and the scheme that will be designed and delivered will underpin the Safer Roads Humber Road Strategy. This seeks to reduce the number of people killed and injured on the roads through effective partnership working.

Councillor Mark Ieronimo, cabinet portfolio holder for transportation, roads and highways at Hull City Council, said: “When it comes to road safety, the council takes its responsibilities very seriously.

“Designing these schemes is an important next step in the process, with the aim of getting on site and delivering them in a timely manner to ensure that our roads are safe for everyone.”

Once designed, the plans for both schemes will be used for public consultation, which is planned for early spring 2024. The work would then be expected to start on site in the autumn.

Design development for both schemes will seek, where possible, to limit any impact on the network.

Hull City Council will consult the public and other stakeholders on the detailed plans and designs for each scheme before construction begins.