Work has now begun on the long-awaited £53m Poynton Relief Road.

Local residents have welcomed the news, which following decades of campaigning to ease the burden of high traffic volumes and congestion in Poynton.

As the contractor for Cheshire East Council, we are undertaking works to clear parts of the site and prepare the ground for construction.

The design and build contract was awarded to us in autumn 2019, and we have been undertaking detailed design and site surveys, including ecological surveys and the creation of new ecological habitat.

The 3km road is expected to open to traffic in Autumn 2022. Funding for the £53m scheme was agreed by government earlier this year, following a successful bid by the council for local growth funding administered by the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership.

Poynton Relief Road will be a modern single carriageway. The relief road will also include two overbridge crossings for use by walkers, cyclists and farm vehicles. A 3.5-metre-wide combined cycle and footway will run beside the length of the route on the western side of the main carriageway.

Councillor Craig Browne, deputy leader of Cheshire East Council said,

“I am delighted that work has now begun on the long-awaited Poynton Relief Road. The council sees this scheme as a key priority in our major infrastructure plans to improve connections across the whole borough.

“The Poynton Relief Road is a critical part of delivering our vision for sustainable economic growth and is another great example of how this council delivers high-quality infrastructure projects. It will create jobs, address the longstanding problems of congestion in and around Poynton and improve access to Macclesfield and other key strategic employment and visitor sites.”

Transport Secretary, with cabinet responsibility for the Northern Powerhouse, Grant Shapps said:

“It’s great to see work begin on yet another vital road upgrade in the North, delivering for the Northern Powerhouse and on our levelling-up commitment.

“This new road will cut congestion and pollution in Poynton, improve access to job opportunities and education and unlock plans for thousands of homes – benefiting residents, businesses and the wider region.”

Leo Martin, managing director of civil engineering for Graham, said:

“We are looking forward to beginning works on the new Poynton Relief Road and working with Cheshire East Council to develop this vital infrastructure for the village and wider region.

“As well as reducing congestion in Poynton we will be providing a 3.5m-wide footpath and cycleway that will support cyclists and pedestrians as a greener option for travel.

“I’ve no doubt this project will provide vast benefits to the Poynton and Macclesfield areas and will be the latest in a number of important transport infrastructure schemes we have been proud to deliver in recent years.”

Cheshire East Council contributed £21m towards the cost of the scheme with Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership providing £5.6m from the government’s Growth Deal and the Department for Transport providing £16.4m. A total of £7.7m is expected to come from developer contributions.