The long-awaited Carlisle northern development route (CNDR) has finally received the go ahead, after the Government approved £158M worth of private-finance initiative (PFI) funding for the scheme.
Work can now begin on the 8.3km, single-carriageway road, which will improve links between Cumbria and Scotland by providing a northwest bypass of Carlisle, connecting the A595 at Newby Pass with junction 44 on the M6.
The £176M scheme has faced numerous obstacles, including a public inquiry, a redesign caused by flooding in 2005, archaeological finds, and most recently, the global financial crisis which threatened PFI projects across the UK. The project hit the buffers late last year after the near-collapse of European bank Dexia, which was due to provide up to £142.8M of funding.
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said the initial funding came from three banks which all contributed £30M. But no money had come from the Treasury Infrastructure Fund, which was set up to rescue stricken PFI projects.
Connect CNDR, a subsidiary of Balfour Beatty, will build the new bypass and also take on the maintenance of a further 148km of existing roads in north Cumbria. The combination of building a new road and a contract to maintain existing roads is the first PFI deal of its kind for a local authority in the UK. The new-build by itself would not be a large enough project to qualify for PFI funding.
Construction on the northern end of the new road will begin in October and will be open by August 2011, with the whole road open by April 2012.
Cllr Jim Buchanan, leader of Cumbria County Council, said: ‘The new road will be an essential component of the regeneration of west Cumbria. It will help traffic flow west from the M6 and also considerably relieve the number of vehicles passing through Carlisle city centre.’
Register now for full access
Register just once to get unrestricted, real-time coverage of the issues and challenges facing UK transport and highways engineers.
Full website content includes the latest news, exclusive commentary from leading industry figures and detailed topical analysis of the highways, transportation, environment and place-shaping sectors.
Use the link below to register your details for full, free access.
Already a registered? Login
