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Government agrees to link road funding
THE Heysham-M6 link road this morning moved a step closer after the government pledged to stump up cash for a cut-price scheme.
In October the scheme survived a cull of major road schemes amid public spending cuts on the understanding that significant savings would be made
Lancashire County Council has reduced the original £139m cost to £123m after making several changes to the design of the road.
While the Department for Transport’s contribution has fallen from £133mm to £111m, local taxpayers face an increased burden, with the council’s share of the cost almost doubling from £6.4m to £12.3m.
Tim Ashton, the council’s cabinet member for highways, said: “The idea for a major road link from the port of Heysham dates back half a century and I’m very proud that we’re finally going to deliver it.
“The Heysham-M6 link will generate thousands of jobs during construction alone, promote ongoing economic growth in the region and reduce traffic congestion in Lancaster city centre.”
For more reaction to the decision see next week’s Lancaster Guardian.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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Comments
There are 15 comments to this article
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TheLoneGunman
Monday, February 14, 2011 at 08:18 PMMannock: The survey data produced by the County Council gives the data you need and I am accepting it is accurate. That survey showed that about 10% of the traffic on Caton Road goes to Heysham or Morecambe. Caton Road accounts for about 20% of all local traffic. It is that traffic that this bypass will cater for.
Mannock
Sunday, February 13, 2011 at 10:22 PMWooHoo... about time - as long as no more idiots try and block it and cost us taxpayers even more money it's going to happen. Of course, all those experts at home, in their arm chairs, will still continue to believe that the millions doing bi yearly surveys of all outbound roads from morecambe won't be accurate, and that because the other traffic is school traffic, that this bypass won't achieve anything - but it will Lorries are 3 -4 times longer than cars, school holidays also mean that no school runs occur AND people take time off from work. remove the lorries too and it will usually be a lot quicker into lancaster as the only traffic using it will be local. Commuters to other area's will finally have a direct link from Morecambe Heysham to the motorway. I've started helping out by digging some of the foundations - and the cost has also been reduced by getting rid of one of the cuttings and making it a dark road apart from junctions.
Sassy
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 07:54 PMYup, the westernsouthern route isn't going to happen. But from what I recall it had nothing to do with Haverbreaks; it was planned further away than that, basically ruining the estuary. And it's a rather *nice* estuary, actually (which, btw, isn't in my back yard!). Of course, if enough money was spent on it, you could build a bypass without disturbing the environment much, but that'll never happen anywhere in Britain.
redwards13
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 06:53 PMWHY! do people keep banging on about the western route, we all know it would have been best but it was thrown out because somebody, no doubt anti western route" happened" to discover some rare newts and was blocked for that reason, so stop banging on about the western route because the northern one is the ONLY one
TheLoneGunman
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 01:22 PMIs there any truth in the rumour that J34 MUST be remodelled anyway as it is not up to scratch. That there is EU funding for such work which will reduce the cost to the council? That would explain why the Northern route with a ridiculous new road and bridge to J34.
rattlethecage
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 11:38 AMi think the real reason we will never see a 'southern' and lets face it, more appropriate route for all traffic issues, is the fact some councilors are to make money selling their land the northern route takes, and possibly because they're all NIMBY's and don'twon't have anything built near their houses (sic) Haverbreaks! I really can't see how this proposed route can or will remove the traffic problem from the city. I live in south lancaster, but understand the need for a bypass and want one. However it needs to be this side of the river with a new bridge across the estuary, this is th eonly way to take the pressure from 'local' traffic. Our council and councilors need to confess to themselves and us as too the real reason for their choice of route. We all know we need a bypass, but not this one
redwards13
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 06:20 PMIf sassy really thinks it is being built in order for heshe to get from primrose to asda or work' it sums up the ignorance of most people to the plight of people on the north side of the river. Take a drive to Heysham and look at the port and the lorry depots, the lorries don't run just a couple of times a day, there are two or three massive depots there.
redwards13
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 06:20 PMIf sassy really thinks it is being built in order for heshe to get from primrose to asda or work' it sums up the ignorance of most people to the plight of people on the north side of the river. Take a drive to Heysham and look at the port and the lorry depots, the lorries don't run just a couple of times a day, there are two or three massive depots there.
StubCrouch
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 06:00 PMMr Snowdon. Sorry to read that you feel you have to judge people. What a very sad occupation. I've studied road schemes, their impact and outcomes for over thirty years, and this one to put simply is a big mistake. It's going the wrong way, it's not solving the problem it's being built to allegedly solve and is merely a repeat of many a similar ill designed road plan of the likes seen at Newbury where three separate independent surveys have shown that to be a waste of taxpayers money, It's just road building for road building's sake where alternative schemes could handle the traffic so much better. Even something as simple as widening the Morecambe Road under Carlisle Bridge will do more for Morecambe and Lancaster than this Silly Scheme would! However - a third river crossing would be the icing on the cake really.
TheLoneGunman
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 02:15 PMThe Northern route is a white elephant and we should not waste the money building it. It is more likely to ADD to local congestion than relieve it. What we really need is a second river crossing at the other end of the quay. This would also require a new road to feed it as the existing roads could not handle the traffic and it would be unfair to residents on those roads. The new road would be best routed along the outskirts of Southern Lancaster and should have junctions with the A6, Ashton Road and Aldcliffe Road. It would seem churlish not to finish the last half mile to the M6 at Bailrig. All the other proposed routes are pretty much a waste of time as they only connect the port with the motorway and that really is a minority of traffic and will not benefit locals (who will be paying the bill).
Sassy
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 12:03 PMIt's not just "not an ideal solution" it's not a solution at all. I live in Primrose. Do you honestly think I'll drive to junction 33 just to go to Asda or to work across the river? Do you think anyone else will? It will only reduce the problem there is with the lorries a couple of times a day, when the ferry arrivesleaves. My predicted headline for 2016: "Traffic congestion still a problem despite bypass" states councillor.
keithsowden
Sunday, February 6, 2011 at 02:56 PMI would imagine Stubcrouch is one of the hairy, anti-car, bike-obsessed brigade living in Lancaster, who does not use our bridges to go to Morecambe. If he bothered to read what is said, rather than what he thinks is said, he would see that normal, sensible people say the link will help to solve some traffic problems, not all of them. Only very,very strange, indoctrinated people think that not doing anything, while the economy of Morecambe goes down the pan, is a good idea. Councillor Keith Sowden (Overton Parish)
TinLancaster
Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 11:43 AMI'm leaving Lancaster because it is impossible to get a good job here. One of the reasons employers are hesitant to operate from this area is because the traffic is so bad. Almost everybody I work with refuses to live, work or socialise on the opposite side of the river because the traffic (and therefore even the buses) is so bad. This may not be an ideal solution, and maybe it is possible to build a new link elsewhere, but without it Morecambe will remain an isolated, futureless, mess. This is at least a step in the right direction. All morecambe needs now is some effort to boost tourism.
Throbshaw
Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 08:41 AMAs the jobs disappear (the recent headlines about the RLI, the Castle Prison and the Council are just the tip of the iceberg), it will become more apparent how dependent this area is on the Public Sector and how vulnerable we are, This road is just about the only hope we have for significant investment and new jobs in the area. We are very lucky that the money is still coming
StubCrouch
Friday, February 4, 2011 at 03:09 PMIt dates back half a century eh? Spot on it's an outdated 50 year old solution to a problem that's completely altered - and why is this man spouting the idiot notion that it will solve the congestion in Lancaster City Centre? Huh? Has Tim Ashton ever been to Lancaster? I doubt it coming out with lies like that. It may well generate jobs in construction - but b***** all afterwards. Any fool who knows about road projects can see it's a waste of space.
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