Business leaders from across South Yorkshire have written to the Transport Secretary calling for investment in the motorway junction set to serve Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

Chief executives from the region’s three chambers of commerce described junction three of the M18 as a “transport bottleneck” in their letter to the Secretary of State, Heidi Alexander MP.

The trio, including Doncaster’s Dan Fell MBE, informed Alexander there was “clear evidence” from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and City of Doncaster Council that investing in and upgrading the junction was “the single most important infrastructure intervention required to realise the full economic potential of the area”.

Mr Fell, CEO of Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, said: “We regularly hear from local businesses how gridlock at Junction 3 stifles their ability to move goods and personnel efficiently. Improving the M18 at this point isn’t just about easing traffic – it’s about sending a strong signal that South Yorkshire is open for growth, investment, and connectivity.”

Doncaster Chamber Chief Executive Dan Fell. | Doncaster Chamber of Commerce

placeholder image — Doncaster Chamber Chief Executive Dan Fell. | Doncaster Chamber of Commerce

The letter highlighted holding directions issued by National Highways in relation to nearby developments, previously reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, with the highway authority objecting to numerous developments over the inability of J3 to handle even more demand.

The junction is the primary M18 exit and entry for Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which is set to reopen over the next few years.

According to “optimistic” projections from the Mayor of Doncaster, freight flights could return to DSA in Summer 2026, with passenger flights to take off in the winter of 2027/28.

On top of this, much of the area surrounding the airport site is set to be developed as part of the South Yorkshire Airport City project, also known as Gateway East, including 1,200 new homes, a new business park and a leisure area known as “Central Plaza”.

Carrie Sudbury, CEO of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, said: “We must treat M18 Junction 3 as an infrastructure priority for South Yorkshire – it has the potential to unlock land, jobs, and development across multiple boroughs. The upgrade is not a nice-to-have; it’s a prerequisite for meaningful regional economic uplift.”

Sources at the City of Doncaster Council have previously told the LDRS that upgrades for M18 J3, which are likely to include a new gyratory – a traffic system requiring the circular movement of traffic, which is larger or more complex than an ordinary roundabout – could cost up to £80million.

Junction 3 of the M18 is in need of improvements if it is to cope with the expected increase in demand over the coming years. | Google

However, the business bosses are said to “fully support” a “capacity-enhancement scheme” for J3 developed in partnership with National Highways, which is said to have a £50m cost attached.

The letter to the Transport Secretary reads: “This deliverable, costed solution will not only resolve the current constraint but also unlock thousands of new jobs in logistics, manufacturing, aviation, and green industries.”

Louisa Harrison-Walker OBE, CEO of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, said: “A properly functioning Junction 3 is fundamental to tying together our regional supply chains. Every extra minute of delay on the M18 chips away at competitiveness.”

Louisa Harrison-Walker OBE, chief executive of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce.

The Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones told the LDRS that capacity and traffic flow improvements were “vital” and thanked the local chambers of commerce for “throwing their collective support behind the scheme”.

“We are in discussions with the Government about this and working with our MPs and the Mayor of South Yorkshire to lobby for this scheme,” Jones added.

The LDRS approached the Department for Transport for comment, but did not receive one before the set deadline.