Sheffield is very well served by road links. In addition to lying on the M1 / M18 junction and being within 30 miles of both the M62 and A1, Sheffield is very well connected by large trunk A roads. These allow an excellent level of access to all the surrounding areas with very low levels of congestion to hold up progress.
Main roads
The A57 is one of the major trans-Pennine routes, running from Liverpool and Manchester in the west to Lincoln in the east. In Sheffield this runs directly past such landmarks as the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, the Children’s Hospital and the University of Sheffield, and continues directly through the City Centre. This allows very easy access to the central business areas, and also to the main industrial areas in the Lower Don Valley.
The A61 is a major north-south route, and this again passes directly through Sheffield. Starting in North Yorkshire, this forms the major non-motorway link between Harrogate / Leeds and Sheffield. It continues southwards from Sheffield to Chesterfield and provides a good link to Derby. The A61 actually intersects with the A57 in Sheffield City Centre, again adding to the quality of road links available to businesses based in and around the city. It also passes past the Sheffield Hallam University city campus, Sheffield Station and the Cultural Industries Quarter.
City centre
The city centre of Sheffield is bounded by the Inner Relief Road, which was completed in 2007, greatly improving traffic flow around the city. This provides links to all the major arterial routes of the city, including the aforementioned A57 and A61, plus the Sheffield Parkway (A630), Ecclesall Road (A625) and Abbeydale Road (A621). Between them these allow easy access to most of Sheffield’s major residential areas, along with the wide-range of both traditional and ethnic shops and restaurants which Sheffield has to offer.
WhizzGo Pay-as-you-go cars
WhizzGo cars is a new way of travelling in, out and around Sheffield. The cars can be hired by the hour and picked up from a number of dedicated parking bays that are dotted all over town.
The cars all have low-emissions so help you reduce your carbon footprint, and the system is easy to use. Once registered you will receive a smart card and PIN number. Then you can book a car online or over the phone whenever you want, with as little as 30seconds to spare, day or night. Then you can go and collect your car from the nearest parking bay. The cars can be rented from as little as an hour or as long as you need it. You get all the convenience of a car without the hassle. The cars are perfect for business or pleasure and are a real help for the environment.
Connect Sheffield
An additional benefit to the road user is the ‘Connect Sheffield’ scheme. In addition to providing a unified design and sign-posting scheme for both pedestrians and road-users, this scheme provides highly visible electronic messaging for road users. Designed to be flexible and adaptable to inform drivers of changing road conditions, the system also provides constantly updated information on parking availability.