Cheshire East starts search for Poynton relief road contractor

Wilmslow-based Focus Transport Planning opened for business this month, under the leadership of directors Andrew Bell, Mike Hughes and Kayley Goulbourne.

Ringway Jacobs has renewed a contract with Cheshire East to manage £5bn-worth of highways assets across the borough for the next 15 years, beating two other companies to the £600m deal.

Construction on Congleton’s 5.5km link road is set to begin in October after the Department for Transport agreed to provide £45m towards the project.

Cheshire East Council has chosen contractor Graham to deliver the £90m Congleton Link Road, a 5.5km highway running between the A534 to the west of the town to the A536 to the north, with construction set to start later this year.

Stockport and Cheshire East residents will have until 16 July to give feedback on SEMMMS, the South East Manchester Multi-Modal Strategy, with options on the table including a tram-train network to connect Stockport with Hazel Grove, Didsbury, and Altrincham.

Cheshire East is aiming to have funding in place for its £55m upgrade of the A500 by the end of the year after it submitted a business case to the Department for Transport earlier this week, with the council aiming to start the project by spring 2020.

Lord Jim O’Neill, vice-chairman of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, has called on Government to conclude a devolution deal for Cheshire and Warrington this year, a move welcomed by local business leaders.