Congestion busting highway improvements near Crewe have reached a crucial stage, with work to begin soon to excavate earth from beneath a new rail bridge (pictured) to allow a new road to pass underneath.

 

The £27M Crewe Green Link Road South project is expected to alleviate congestion by creating an alternative bypass for Crewe and improving access to the A500 and M6.

 

The 1.1km dual carriageway will link the Weston Gate roundabout on the A5020 and the A500 Hough–Shavington Bypass. Work is being carried out by main contractor Morgan Sindall on behalf of Cheshire East Council.

 

Over Easter the 2000t railway bridge was installed on the line between Crewe and Derby beneath which the new road will pass. The bridge is 30m long and its installation "was meticulously planned to coincide with a weekend rail possession,” according to Morgan Sindall highways director Gary Crisp. 

 

During April sheet piles have been installed to create a large cofferdam to allow earth to be excavated from beneath the bridge. Work on the road scheme is expected to complete at the end of the year.

 

Cheshire East Council executive director of economic growth and prosperity Caroline Simpson said: “The Council is pleased that work is progressing well on the road. Once complete it will allow traffic to move around Crewe rather than directly through the town centre and Nantwich Road.”

 

The new road is also expected to help create access to 12,500 jobs over the next 20 years, including at the Basford East regional and strategic development site which the project passes through.

 

(Photo: Morgan Sindall)