Connecting communities at A63 Castle Street
Our improvements to A63 Castle Street are about more than relieving traffic congestion through Hull. They've given us the opportunity to connect people with amenities and their history.
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The existing at-grade layout of the A63 Castle Street carries 47,000 vehicles a day and is frequently congested. Our improvement will speed traffic by lowering the level of the A63, with split level junctions carrying traffic across it.
But traffic isn't our only concern. We need to create better connections for the people of Hull to cross the A63 to the retail and waterfront areas to the south.
Connecting communities
Completed in 2021, Murdoch's Connection footbridge is an important part of the A63 Castle Street improvement. It allows pedestrians, cyclists and disabled people to move freely across the A63.
It’ll help support the local economy by better linking the city centre to the waterfront, marina and fruit market areas of the town.
With its iconic design, the footbridge is a landmark piece of infrastructure and architecture for the city.
The bridge is named after Mary Murdoch, Hull's very first woman doctor. Mary was also a suffragist and active campaigner for health and welfare. She established the city's first creche and school for mothers.
Mary was chosen as the bridge's namesake on the basis of a competition we ran with local secondary schools.
Over 100 pupils from Newlands School for Girls and Archbishop Sentamu Academy submitted essays nominating local figures who inspired them. The winner was chosen by the public - with over 55,000 votes cast.
Commemorative granite panels on the bridge give the key details of Mary's life.
Connecting with history
The footprint of our A63 Castle Street improvement lay across a number of areas of archaeological interest. These included the Trinity Burial Ground, south of Castle Street and close to Mytongate roundabout.
The burial ground was used between the 18th and 19th centuries at a time when Hull's population was rapidly expanding. It is associated with Holy Trinity Church, better known as Hull Minster, in the heart of Hull Old Town.
This gave us the opportunity to discover a wealth of information about life in of Hull society at a key point in the town's history.
It's essential for funerary remains to be carefully and respectfully excavated. 70 archaeologists worked to the highest professional and ethical standards to carry out this substantial archaeological investigation.
We’ve also invested £3.9 million through the Hull Minster Development Trust to safeguard Hull Minster’s heritage. One result of our investment is a new visitor and heritage centre.
This glass bronze and stone extension to the minster houses exhibition spaces, a café and other visitor facilities. It will also provide a home for exhibits about the history of Hull and the central role played by the church.
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