Work will begin early in the New Year on the delayed £124.5M Heysham to M6 Link Road in Lancashire after the Court of Appeal threw out an appeal by protesters to halt the project.

A 4.8km dual carriageway will now be built by Costain to the Heysham Peninsula from junction 34 of the M6 near Lancaster.

The build will include remodelling the junction, a new bridge over the river Lune and a park and ride site for 600 cars.

The Link Road will improve access to Heysham Port and power stations and has been calculated to deliver more than four times the benefit to the economy for every pound spent.

Following a two day hearing in July the High Court ruled against anti road protesters in October, refusing permission to apply for a judicial review to challenge the Transport Secretary's decision to approve the project. A final application to the Court of Appeal to reverse the High Court decision last Thursday was refused.

Lancashire County Councillor John Fillis said: "We have always been confident of the case for the link road, which is widely supported by local people and businesses.

"While I am very satisfied at the strong judgement in our favour, I'm also extremely frustrated that objectors have cost the people of Lancashire an extra £2.6M by pursuing what amount to no more than delaying tactics."

Costain project manager Andrew Langley added: "We are looking forward to getting started on the construction of the new road. We have already engaged with several local companies and have already started a local employment and training programme."

The Department for Transport will contribute £111M towards the scheme, with the county council funding the remainder.

(Image: Lancashire County Council)

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