Preliminary work to build a major bypass in Greater Manchester that has been in the works since the mid-1970s is finally set to start. Plans for the A57 Mottram Bypass link road project – which will create two new link roads between Manchester and Sheffield – have evolved over the decades but have never gone ahead until now.
Before construction can begin, preparation works need to be carried out, including work to divert telecoms cables which will start next month on Mottram Moor in preparation for the new bypass, a project expected to take three years, says the BBC.
This new road will bypass the village of Mottram and extend towards Glossop. The Secretary of State for Transport approved Development Consent Orders for the project last year but a legal challenge delayed the scheme further. That challenge was rejected by the Court of Appeal which means builders can start work next year.
The A57 Link Roads project will create the Mottram Moor Link Road – a new dual carriageway from the M67 junction 4 roundabout to a new junction on the A57(T) at Mottram Moor.
The other is the A57 Link Road – a new single carriageway link from the A57(T) at Mottram Moor to a new junction on the A57 in Woolley Bridge.
Work has now started on diverting some BT cables that currently run in the area – which will tun until 18 October and will cause footpath closures on Mottram Moor. Once construction starts on the bypass in 2025, it is expected to take about three years to complete, according to National Highways.
(Pic – National Highways/Highways England)
