Delight as North West Relief Road money set to be awarded
Business leaders and politicians are delighted that funding for the long awaited North West Relief Road appears to have finally been secured.
It was announced on Tuesday that Shrewsbury's MP, Daniel Kawczynski, had been called in to a meeting the day before with Transport Minister Chris Grayling to be told that £54 million had been awarded for the scheme.
The leader of Shropshire Council is now considering the next move and eagerly awaiting the formal announcement of the award.
Councillor Peter Nutting said the scheme was 'oven ready' and all set to go but that he did not envisage JCBs moving on to site this year.
Extra funding could be obtained from Government sources and Councillor Nutting added that money could be made up from council reserves.
He said that the NWRR was the first step in improved road links in Shropshire and that future projects could involve the dualling of the A5 between Shrewsbury and Oswestry, the Llanymynech bypass at the A41 in the north of the county.
"This is an economic development project," he said.
"This is not the end of the highways programme. We are going to build the NWRR if we get the funding from the government."
'Fantastic prospect'
Clive Wright, chief executive of Shropshire Council, added: "We have been in close contact with Daniel Kawczynski who, following his meetings with Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling, has released exciting news that our bid for funding for the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road has been approved.
"This is a fantastic prospect for Shrewsbury and Shropshire and will be an enormous boost to our economy. The project is of national significance and we believe it will deliver benefits to Shropshire people and to communities beyond our borders.
"We are awaiting formal confirmation from the Department for Transport and, once we have this, we will be making announcements alongside our partners and supporters."
WATCH: Fly over the new road
Peter Bettis, chairman of Shrewsbury Business Chamber, was over the moon that the road they have campaigned for will finally become reality, subject to planning permission being granted.
The scheme had long been championed by the late Graham Galliers, former President of the chamber who died in 2013, and Mr Bettis said he would have been delighted to think that 'someone has been listening'.
Mr Bettis said: "This has been a very long time in coming.
"What it helps us to do is to give a direct route to the northern industrial estates of the town and better linkage for that area to Wales and Ireland.
"It relieves traffic in the town and reduces fuel consumption for those drivers currently having to use the river loop route.
"e have had a lot of support for this scheme. It will ease congestion for those people who are circumnavigating the town.
"People will now be able to find a way across town rather than through it and that is really great news."
The road is proposed to join with the Oxon Link Road at Shelton Water Tower and the Battlefield Roundabout on the eastern edge of the town.
Now that the multi-million pound funding has been secured, Shropshire Council will begin work on its proposed scheme of works. It is envisaged that, if all goes to plan, the road will be complete by 2022.
