Judge Lady Justice Thornton who presided over the Judicial Review on the A57 Link Road scheme considered all the legal challenges and has now handed down her decision confirming that the case against the scheme is now closed.
This means Balfour Beatty, which secured the £108m contract to deliver the scheme three years ago, can soon start the North West highways project whose cost is now understood to be around £170m.
A National Highways spokesman said: “We can now begin construction and will start work on the scheme as soon as possible. We’re currently finalising the construction programme and will provide further updates in due course.”
The A57 Link Roads project was formerly known as the ‘Trans-Pennine Upgrade’, and is now referred to as the Mottram Moor Link Road and A57 Link Road project.
The A57 Link Roads
The scheme includes the creation of two new link roads:
- 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
- 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.