£12 million Shrewsbury link road plan submitted
Final plans for the long awaited multi-million pound link road on the outskirts of Shrewsbury have been submitted.
The Oxon Link Road, which would be a two-lane carriageway around one mile in length, would connect the Churncote roundabout on the A5 to the Holyhead Road at Oxon.
The road will cost in the region of £12 million to construct and is anticipated to be complete by 2021 if it gains planning approval.
Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “The Oxon Link Road will provide a much-needed alternative to the existing A458 Welshpool Road. It will completely remove through traffic from Welshpool Road, changing its function and character to better serve new and existing development while enhancing the local community centre.
"We’re pleased that the planning application has now been submitted following the two-day drop-in exhibition that we held earlier this year and we thank people who attended and commented on the plans.”
Under the plans, Calcott Lane and Shepherd Lane, which currently connect Welshpool Road to Holyhead Road, would be cut off with no direct access to the new link road.
There will be a roundabout in the middle of the section of road, connecting it to Welshpool Road via Little Oxon Road.
Plans for the road were first mooted in 2013 and a public consultation was carried out along with a series of public exhibitions to give people the chance to look at the proposals.
Funded
Forming part of the Shrewsbury West Sustainable Urban Extension, it is intended that the road will link to the proposed North West Relief Road and would be “future fit” for relief road status.
The project will be funded through £8 million of contributions from developers planning to build housing in the area, with the remaining £4 million from Growth Deal funding through the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership.
Under the plans there could be a reduced speed limit of 20mph on Welshpool Road as well as traffic-calming measures introduced.
The current exit from the A5 on to Welshpool Road will remain but will only be used to access two business sites immediately off the bypass.
Traffic from housing estates which use the roads would consequently have to drive on to Welshpool Road, towards Shrewsbury town centre and then back along the link road to get to the A5.
Traffic wanting to access Shrewsbury town centre from the west would come along the link road and then down Holyhead Road.
To comment on the plans or to view the application go to the Shropshire Council website.
