Council welcomes award of £54m for Shrewsbury north west relief road

Map showing the proposed route of the Shrewsbury north west relief road

Shropshire Council has welcomed today’s announcement by the Department for Transport (DfT) that they are to invest £54m in the construction of the Shrewsbury north west relief road.

(To see the response from key people and organisations from across the West Midlands, click here).

Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said:

“Today’s announcement is brilliant news and means that our thorough and detailed business case for a Shrewsbury north west relief road has been recognised and supported by the government. I’m also delighted that the lobbying of government by a large number of people over a long period has been successful. Today’s announcement really is the culmination of many years’ hard work by a great number of people and it’s been a real team  effort between council officers, councillors, MPs, our engineering consultants and many more.

“The NWRR will benefit not just Shrewsbury but the whole of Shropshire and, though there is some way to go before the road is built and in use, securing this funding from the government is a huge step towards making this much-needed road a reality.

“As we outlined in our business case, it will provide a new, high standard, direct route between the north and west of Shrewsbury, offering big time savings for road users. Traffic will therefore transfer from the existing routes, reducing congestion and making them more efficient. These benefits will be felt over a wide area, including the outer bypasses and rural lanes, as well as the roads leading into and through the town centre.

“The NWRR will also help to reduce accidents and carbon emissions, and will improve air quality in areas where people shop, work and live. It will give Shrewsbury a more efficient and resilient road network and support the county’s continued growth and economic development.”

Further information

The cost of constructing the NWRR is estimated to be £71m. The government have committed to contributing £54m and Shropshire Council will provide the balance of the cost, estimated at £17m , and responsibility for any cost increases.

The road is scheduled to be completed within five years. Before then, there will be a refresh of the evidence base and a full planning application will be submitted by Shropshire Council, at which time further detailed information will be available to the public on the proposals, and the opportunity for the public and stakeholders to comment further.

The below video is a ‘fly through’ of the proposed north west relief road.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9is6Pj9bfUs

More information on the NWRR proposals can be found on the Shropshire Council website – click here.