Graham Construction was appointed main contractor for the project by Cheshire East Council in July but the start of work depended on Department for Transport final funding approval. It now has this and work will start on site in October 2018.
The 5.5km (3.5 mile) Congleton Link Road is designed to reduce town centre traffic and unlock key sites for housing and development. It will link the A536 Macclesfield Road to the north with the A534 Sandbach Road to the west.
Transport minister Baroness Liz Sugg has confirmed that Cheshire East Council’s business case for the road is approved and that a £45m grant will come from the Department for Transport, supplementing the £24m to be met by Cheshire East. The balance will come from developer funding.
Glen Williams, Cheshire East Council deputy cabinet member for environment, said: “This is excellent news and we are delighted that the government has shown faith in our business case, our ability to deliver and has recognised the need for this road project to go ahead.”
Graham Construction is expected to complete the new road in late 2020, paving the way for the construction of up to 2,400 new homes and opening up 50 acres of employment land.
The Congleton Link Road is the third major highways infrastructure project in the borough in the past four years, following completion of the Basford West Spine Road and the Crewe Green Link Road.
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