The next stage of a multi-million pound road investment is under way in Cheshire East, as part of the All Change for Crewe programme.
Plans to start building the Basford West spine road are now under way after the Council’s developer partner, Goodmans, appointed a contractor to begin work on the £7m road next month (August) as part of a larger contract.
It follows the Council’s successful bid to the DfT for ‘pinch point’ funding in order to ease congestion in the area and open up 35 hectares of strategic employment and housing sites, creating more than 2,000 jobs and boosting the economy by an estimated £40m, with 12,500 jobs over the next two decades.
The 1km road represents a vital link between Gresty Road in Crewe and the Shavington junction of the A500 and will improve access to Crewe railway station and then on into the town centre.
It also presents opportunities to develop the existing land in the Basford West area for retail and leisure developments and also for much-needed new homes.The land will also be earmarked for commercial use, including rail-related development.
Councillor Michael Jones, Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “This is more fantastic news for Crewe and further proves this Council’s commitment to helping this town to grow and thrive again.
“It also means Crewe is being taken seriously as a place for investment, because the Government is recognising the town’s huge economic potential time-and-time again.
“The road itself will provide excellent local and strategic links to Crewe and Nantwich as well as the A500 and M6. It will ease traffic on the existing roads in the area and offer relief to other routes into Crewe, such as the A5020 and Weston Road.”
This success follows on from the delivery of the new station access, the commencement of the Crewe Green Link Road South and M6 J16/ A500 widening scheme and the improvements at M6 J17 to follow this Autumn.
The authority is now waiting to hear whether it has been successful in applying for £2.8m to widen the B5078, which leads to the M6 at junction 16 at Barthomley.
Work is already getting under way on the £11.2m joint scheme between Cheshire East Council and the Highways Agency, with the installation of traffic signals on Junction 16 of the M6 and the widening of the A500 to two lanes approaching the junction. The A500 scheme will see a 600 metre-long widening of the A500 on the approach to the M6 at junction 16 on the Crewe side.
Councillor Jones added: “The project is the culmination of years of hard work and lobbying by the Council and is the latest in a series of successful road bids for this authority, which aims to put residents first and deliver better connectivity and jobs-led, plan-led growth for the people of Cheshire East.
“Improving connectivity between our communities and the M6 is one of the cornerstones of the Council’s vision for a less-congested and better-integrated road network that will help transform Crewe and surrounding areas into an economic powerhouse by 2030.
“This Council is continuing to deliver on that ambition and will be monitoring the success of the Highways Agency’s traffic management to ensure the best results for our local roads.
“One of our key aims is for Cheshire East to have a strong and resilient economy and improving the roads in and around the Borough ensures that we will gain an even greater reputation as an excellent place to live, visit and do business. Cheshire East is the best in the North West and the place to be.”
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