A MAJOR bid to tackle congestion in and around Pershore has been given the green light by county council planning chiefs.
The long-awaited Pershore Northern Link Road was approved by councillors at a meeting on Tuesday (July 9) and will see the construction of a new highway and road bridge which provide a link between the A44/B4083 and B4083 Wyre Road roundabouts north of Pershore.
These works will form part of the wider Pershore Infrastructure Improvement Scheme, aimed at upgrading links between Pershore town centre and the A44 to address the issue of congestion and improve access.
Work on improvements at the busy Pinvin junction, which are due to commence in the autumn, will also form part of the major revamp of the town’s roads.
The new link road will also create a direct connection between Pershore Trading Estate, Keytec 7 Business Park, Keytec East Business Park and the A44. It will run from the A44/B4083 roundabout north of the railway line to the B4083 roundabout south of the railway line.
Coun Ken Pollock, the county council’s cabinet member for Economy and Infrastructure, said: “This is an important project for the Pershore area and it’s great news that planning has been granted.
“The new link road will help to ease congestion and provide better links for public and local businesses.This project provides further evidence of the council’s commitment to relieving congestion and improving connectivity across the county.”
Bradley Thomas, leader of Wychavon District Council, said: “The construction of a Northern Link Road is a significant step forward to alleviate congestion in Pershore.
“We are delighted to be supporting this project which is long-overdue for the town and we are looking forward to work starting as soon as practically possible.”
Gary Woodman, chief executive of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We’ve invested in improvements to Pershore Northern Link Road to support the growth of Worcestershire’s economy, by tackling existing congestion and journey time reliability.
“Investment in this important road will not only help to boost business productivity and strengthen the county’s reputation for connectivity but will also open up access to future employment and housing land.”
Works on the link road are planned to start towards the end of the year.
Visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/pershore for more.
