£90m dual carriageway plan under review

The A500 links up with the M6

A £90m scheme to widen a Cheshire road into a dual carriageway has been put under review, due to rising costs and the cancellation of HS2.

Part of the A500 from Crewe to the M6 was set to be dualled, under plans approved last year.

But Cheshire East Council said it was now “unlikely” the scheme would get the funds required from the government.

It is now looking to work on an alternative, which could be focused on improving links from the A500 to Crewe Station.

Plans to widen part of the A500 from Meremoor Moss roundabout to junction 16 of the M6 were given planning permission in February 2023.

In a council report, officers said the cancellation of HS2 had undermined the business case for the project and that high inflation means the benefits of the scheme would be classed as low or poor.

It said as a result, it is “thought unlikely” the scheme would receive the full funding required.

The government had committed £55.1m for the project, with the council set to fund the remaining £34.4m.

The report said during discussions the Department for Transport had said it was prepared to fully fund an alternative plan, because of the “unexpected and direct impacts caused by the government’s decision to cancel HS2”.

It said there was an agreement that an updated scheme would be focused on access to Crewe swtation from the A500 for all modes of transport and improving the roundabout.

Under the revised proposals, links would be improved to Crewe Station

Councillor Mark Goldsmith, chair of the council’s highways and transport committee, said Cheshire East remained committed to making the road a dual carriageway.

He said the new proposals would mean the scheme could be possible in the future if funding became available.

“It is thought that by refocusing our plans, we can maximise government investment in Cheshire East in the absence of HS2 and deliver greater transport and regeneration benefits compared to the existing scheme – at less cost to the council,” he said.

Councillors are set to sign off a decision to work on an updated business case, which could take 18 months to complete, at a meeting on Thursday.