£200 million road connecting east and west Carlisle begins construction

The first of 10,000 trees which will be planted along the road was put in place today. Credit: Cumberland Council

The construction of the £200 million Carlisle Southern Link Road has officially begun.

The new road will be 8km long and will connect Junction 42 of the M6 (at Golden Fleece) with the A595 at Newby West.

It will include four new roundabouts, four new road bridges, a combined cycle and foot path and four new shared-use overbridges.

The road is a crucial part of the St Cuthberts Garden Village development which aims to bring 10,000 new homes to the city over the next 30 years.

Construction is expected to take at least two years.

The beginning of construction was marked with a launch event today with key stakeholders from Cumberland Council and the main contractor Galliford Try.

Cllr Denise Rollo, Cumberland Council’s Executive Member for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places, said: “The project will vastly improve east to west connectivity as well as unlocking the delivery of the St. Cuthbert’s Garden Village and bringing employment opportunities and significant benefits to the city and the wider county.

“I was incredibly proud to be present to plant the very first of thousands of trees which will be planted along the new road.”

John Stevenson, MP for Carlisle, said: “The £212 million investment into our city to improve our infrastructure, will ensure that the West of Carlisle has a direct route to the M6 without having to go through the city.

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