Government plans A5-M1 link road 'to help tackle congestion'

Date: 23/9/2011

Work on a link road from the A5 to the M1 may be brought forward as the government has announced it has secured private sector investment for the project.

The 2.9-mile route would run from the section of the A5 that lies north of Dunstable and join with the motorway at a new junction - J11a.

According to the Department for Transport, the aim of the scheme - for which a £45 million investment has been raised - is to reduce congestion in the area and improve road safety and journey times.

Central Bedfordshire Council has also committed £5 million of Growth Area Funding to the project, with the government revealing that a public inquiry into the plans will be recommenced next year.

Should it be approved, construction will be able to begin in 2014 rather than the original forecast of post-2015.

Roads Minister Mike Penning said: "I have said that private investment can help progress transport projects and the £50 million contribution to the costs of the A5-M1 link road is an example of this."

Recommendations recently put forward by the House of Commons Transport Select Committee on how to tackle congestion in the UK included utilising the latest intelligent traffic management systems and increasing the use of real-time information to help people plan their journeys better.

Posted by Mary Treen