The Secretary of State for Transport has today opened the final stretch of road which completes the eastern bypass around Crewe…
The new 1.1KM long duel carriageway cost £26.5m to build and forms a valuable link between the A500 Hough-Shavington bypass and the A5050 Weston Road.
It is expected to unlock nearly 100 hectares of potential development land for housing and businesses, as well as alleviating huge congestion problems to the east of the town.
The new link road has taken 15 months to build and involved a full weekend closure of the Derby to Crewe railway link in order to install a 2,000 tonne bridge to carry the line.
A £15.6m grant from the Department for Transport has covered part of the costs of the Crewe Green Link Road with the rest being met by Cheshire East Council and local developers.
The road will be named David Whitby Way, commemorating the local man who was a co-driver of the Glasgow to London mail train that was hijacked in the Great Train Robbery in 1963.
Cheshire East Council Leader Michael Jones, said: “The completion of Crewe Green Link Road is yet another fantastic achievement for this Council and demonstrates our total commitment to the regeneration and future growth strategy for the town.”
Commenting on the new road, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “This route will bring quicker, easier journeys around Crewe and shows our commitment to improving the UK’s transport infrastructure. Our investment will unlock Crewe’s ambitious plans to create jobs and play a key role in the Northern Powerhouse.
“I am also pleased to see the road named after a Crewe man who embodied the vital role transport workers play in our daily life.”
The new link road is one of several major highways schemes delivered by Cheshire East Council supported by the Department of Transport, with key partners including Highways England and Network Rail.
More than £1bn has been spent on road and strategic infrastructure schemes in Cheshire East in recent years.
