Carlisle gets back on track for road PFI

15 November 2007
 
Construction of the new Carlisle bypass took a step closer to reality this week after a preferred bidder was recommended for the project.

Cumbria County Council’s cabinet has recommended that Connect CNDR be appointed as the preferred bidder for the five-mile single carriageway, which will run from the Newby West junction on the A595 and skirt the western edge of the city before joining the M6 at Junction 44.

Officers drew up an outline business case for the private finance initiative (PFI) in spring 2001, and initial government approval came in autumn 2004. But the following January’s devastating floods forced a redesign of the proposed new bridge over the River Eden.

Finally, the Government made up to £142.8M of PFI credits available in May this year (Surveyor 10 May 2007). If all goes to plan, a final contract could be signed next summer, with work beginning on the road in September 2008. Awarding the contract will see the winning bidder take control of 92 miles of existing road network around the Carlisle Northern Development Route (CNDR), even before work begins.

The county council developed the CNDR scheme to include those parts of the existing network to make the scheme big enough to become a PFI-funded scheme. Ian Stewart, county council cabinet portfolio holder for transport and infrastructure, said: ‘Anyone who has followed the progress of the CNDR will know that it has had its ups and downs, but we have now reached this crucial stage.

‘The county council has stuck to its guns and remained determined through all those ups and downs – such as the redesign required after the Carlisle floods of 2005.’ The full council will be asked to make the final decision on 22 November. A council spokesman put the total cost at around £150M.

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