Carlisle Southern Link Road project reaches 'vital' milestone

A 124-tonne temporary bridge will provide access over the River Caldew for contractors

Construction of a long-awaited new road has reached a "vital" milestone, a council says.

The Carlisle Southern Link Road will connect the M6 with the A595, facilitating a 10,000 home development.

Cumberland Council said a 124-tonne temporary bridge had been installed to allow access across the River Caldew.

"This vital temporary link enables works on the much larger permanent Caldew Crossing structure to progress," the authority said.

Executive member Denise Rollo said: "The project will vastly improve east-to-west connectivity."

The road will pave the way for the St Cuthbert's Garden Village housing development and "bring employment opportunities and significant benefits to the city and the wider county", she says.

The project is to receive £212m of government funding

The link road was commissioned in 2015 and approved in 2020, but was delayed by the rising cost of materials.

Construction finally began in June, with the budget for it now totalling £212m.

The council said Galliford Try Infrastructure and their subcontractors had made "steady progress in challenging conditions" since work began.

The former Cumbria County Council, which was replaced by the new authority, secured £134m for the project and, in March, announced it was to receive almost £80m of extra government funding.

Construction is expected to take at least two years, with the 8km (5 mile) road due to open in the summer of 2025.

It will connect Junction 42 of the M6 with the A595 at Newby West and have four roundabouts, four road bridges, a combined cycle and foot path, and four shared-use bridges over the road.