'Risky' Snake Pass set for £7.6m safety work

The Peak District's infamous Snake Pass is set to benefit from a £7.6m investment, it has been announced.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said the funding would deliver "lifesaving improvements" on the A57 route, which links Sheffield and Manchester.

Transport minister Lilian Greenwood said: "Anyone driving on the A57 Snake Pass knows how risky it can feel."

The planned changes include speed limit signage, stabilisation of the carriageway, improved visibility and a dedicated motorcycle barrier.

Snake Pass is regarded as one of the most scenic driving roads in the UK, and is used by about 30,000 vehicles a week.

But it is also considered one of the "most high-risk" roads in England due to a series of steep bends, twists and blind junctions.

Collision data submitted to the DfT states that, between 2018 and 2023, there were five fatalities, 62 serious and 102 "slight" collision casualties.

It is often the subject of roadworks and closes regularly due to poor weather or landslips, making it dangerous to drive along.

Work to build the road began in 1818 and it opened in 1821.

Roger Hargreaves, director of Glossop Heritage Trust, previously said it was built as a turnpike - or toll road - but it was financially unsuccessful from the start and did not make enough money to maintain itself.

"First of all, the summit is at nearly 1,700ft, very exposed, and sometimes it was closed by snow for months in the winter," he said.

"It was also built along ground which was not stable, and so it was really not a good idea to build a road along this route."

Snake Pass often shuts in winter due to ice and snow - and closures due to landslips are becoming so frequent that Derbyshire County Council warned it could not afford to keep repairing the road.

The authority said historical records suggested landslips had taken place along the road with closures dating back at least 90 years.

It had previously asked the DfT for a "landslips fund" to keep the road open in future and said it would not have the resources to deal with a major landslip.

However, the DfT said it was "not responsible for Snake Pass" and "does not hold contingency funding for major repairs of this sort".

The county council said the new funding from the DfT's Safer Roads Fund, announced on Friday, would be targeted at a 23-mile stretch between Glossop and Sheffield.

Proposed safety improvements include the installation of up to 10 average speed camera sites along the route, advance "road restraint" safety barriers designed to prevent motorcyclists sliding under existing safety barriers, and anti-skid friction surfacing at bends.

The DfT estimates the work will prevent more than 93 fatal and serious collisions over the next 20 years, as well as reducing congestion and emissions.

Charlotte Hill, cabinet member for potholes, highways and transport at the county council, said the authority would finalise its proposals ahead of a public consultation on the scheme later in the year.

"We have already carried out a number of safety improvements along the route, but a more holistic solution is required to save lives and change road user attitudes and behaviours along this challenging stretch of road," she said.

High Peak MP Jon Pearce said he was "delighted" the government had announced investment for safety improvements.

"This road is High Peak's vital link to Manchester and Sheffield. Keeping the road open is crucial for people's livelihoods and for the local economy", he added.

East Midlands mayor Claire Ward said: "This is great news for the safety of local people who use this route every day, and a big step in the right direction for tourism for the Peaks and the economy of our region."

The scheme is expected to be completed within three years.

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