A look back at one of Hull’s busiest roads – see how things have changed
Freetown Way seems relatively new to many but it opened almost 40 years ago
The unveiling of Freetown Way in Hull happened in the summer of 1986.
One of Hull’s key road links, bypassing the central area from George Street to Ferensway/Beverley Road, the route was officially opened by the High Commissioner for Sierra Leone, Victor Sumner, on June 17 of that year, with Hull’s then Lord Mayor Cllr Alf Bowd in attendance. The road is named after the African community of Freetown, which is twinned with Hull.
Now travelled by many motorists on the daily commute without so much as a thought – apart from, perhaps, if they are likely to get snarled up in traffic there on the way to work, or on the way home – it was all quite an experience back when Freetown Way was newly constructed. Pedestrians found themselves negotiating new crossings, while drivers were at pains to make sure they were in the right lane to get where they wanted to go.
It has since been both boon and bane to people’s lives, depending on the free flow (or otherwise) of traffic heading to or from east Hull. The road was reconfigured, somewhat controversially, in July 2020 to single carriageways, in order to accommodate new cycle lanes.
The segregated cycle lanes, which reduced Freetown Way to one lane for motorists in each direction, were funded by the Government as part of a roll-out of an Active Travel scheme during the early part of the pandemic. The idea was to encourage more cycling and walking, as well as bus use.
The funding was conditional on schemes being implemented immediately, allowing little or no time for consultation. However, since the changes were made on Freetown Way, lengthy traffic queues have become a regular sight along the route, particularly on the approach to the junction with Ferensway, Beverley Road and Spring Bank.
Moves are afoot to convert Freetown Way back to a dual carriageway, with off-road cycleways seen to be the way forward. Last spring, Hull City Council entered final consultations on the Freetown Way scheme ahead of works due to start this spring.
Take a look through this images from the Hull Daily Mail archive to see what Freetown Way used to look like …
A new road to travel in August 1986
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This picture was taken the day Freetown Way was officially opened by the High Commissioner for Sierra Leone, Victor Sumner, in June, 1986. The road is named after the African community of Freetown which is twinned with Hull
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The Hull floral display on the corner of Ferensway and Freetown Way, which was entered into the Britain in Bloom competition in 2001
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