THE estimated cost of a planned road crossing has almost doubled in the past few months, and is now expected to cost over £10 MILLION.

And it is still not certain where this money will come from.

Proposals to create a new crossing over the A629 Aire Valley trunk road, a scheme that would better link Steeton and Silsden, have been in the planning stages for several years.

Earlier this year there were signs that after such a long period of very little movement, the infrastructure scheme might finally be going ahead.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority agreed to move ahead with a full business case for a pedestrian bridge over the busy trunk road. Members were told the bridge would come in at a cost of around £5.5m, and include new footpaths and cycle routes linking the bridge to the two villages.

The plans will go before Bradford Council's Executive in the New Year, where members will be asked to move ahead with the plans. They will also be asked to authorise compulsory purchase orders - meaning the Council could force landowners to sell any plots of land needed for the work to proceed.

A report to the Executive reveals that the estimated cost of the project has risen dramatically since it went before the Combined Authority in June.

It is now expected to cost £10.3m.

The report goes on to say that just £800,000 of this funding has been secured so far, leaving the Council to "explore opportunities" for where the remaining £9.5m of funding will come from.

The dual carriageway, a national speed limit road, acts as a physical barrier between Steeton and Silsden, with no controlled crossing points. It means that despite the two villages being a short distance from each other, the vast majority of journeys between the two are by car.

There have been several serious accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists on the busy road in recent years.

Options for the crossing also included an underpass and traffic light controlled crossing points, but a bridge was eventually chosen as the best option.

The report to the Executive, which meets on January 4, says the crossing will increase the number of people in the area who choose to walk or cycle over using a car.

The Council has described the project as a "landmark bridge which is truly sustainable and accessible to all."

When asked about he spiralling costs, a Bradford Council spokesperson said the Outline Business Case had identified several options with an estimate of approximately £5.5 - £6m.

However, once this progressed the plans changed to "incorporate far more Active Travel, public realm and green infrastructure improvements" around the planned bridge.

They added: "The project has so far secured £800,000, but requires a further £9.5m of funding which we are exploring opportunities to secure through various transport investment packages such as the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements."