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Highways England announce preferred route for £242m Trans-Pennine plans

Highways England has chosen its preferred bypass plan for the A57 in Mottram as part of £242m Trans-Pennine route infrastructure upgrades which aim to cut congestion and improve safety.

The authority has plucked for a dual carriageway link road running from the M67 terminal roundabout to a junction with A57 at Back Moor, as well as a new single carriageway road from the junction to another on the A57 at Brookfield. Highways England claim the option “performed best in terms of community impact and had the most support from those taking part in the consultation”.

The improvements are set to have a beneficial impact on any drivers travelling between Manchester and Sheffield with construction due to start in early 2020. The consultation, which was held earlier this year, had almost 900 respondents with 50% backing the option selected for a new link from the M67 terminal roundabout to a new junction at A57. Highways England will also be delivering improvements at Westwood roundabout at Tankersley in South Yorkshire which links the A61 and A616, and do further work to refine options for the dualling of the A61 between Westwood roundabout and the M1. Plans for climbing lanes on the A628 are also being considered further following the recent consultation.

Tim Gamon, Highways England’s regional delivery director for the North West, said: “More than 1,000 people attended the public information events we held on both sides of the Pennines earlier this year and almost 900 people responded to the consultation – with half backing the option selected for a new link from the M67 terminal roundabout to a new junction at A57(T) Mottram Moor - near Back Moor - and a link from there to a new junction on the A57 at Brookfield. Most people felt these improvements struck a good balance in terms of convenience for drivers, reduced impact on local communities and improved safety. So we will present them in a statutory consultation next year with a plan to starting construction in early 2020.”

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