Cumbria County Council has today agreed to approach the Highways Agency to negotiate on de-trunking a key stretch of the A590 in Barrow in order to press ahead with economic development in the area.
Barrow local committee asked the cabinet to consider proposals to "de-trunk" part of the A590 in order to improve traffic flows and help bring jobs to the Furness Business Park.
Funding for a £1.1 million gyratory scheme has been promised by the NWDA via West Lakes Renaissance as part of the regeneration plans for the town and some design work has already been done on a one-way gyratory which would include the last 670metres of the A590.
If the Highways Agency and the Department for Transport agree, the county council will assume responsibility for a section of the A590 in return for a special grant from the Highways Agency which controls trunk roads and motorways.
If the deal goes ahead it should be easier to move ahead with plans for the new gyratory system to serve Furness Business Park.
More specifically, traffic flow improvements are needed for the North West Development Agency to fully open its new Lake House development which could provide up to 350 jobs.
When the NWDA built Lake House the Highways Agency successfully requested a planning condition that only 150 of a potential 350 employment places would be available until improvements to the traffic system near the park were completed.
If the Highways Agency approve de-trunking the section of the A590 Cumbria County Council will be given a special grant by the Government to help meet maintenance costs, but the long maintenance funding is unclear at the moment.
Councillor Jack Richardson, cabinet spokesman for transport and infrastructure, said:
"We will now be negotiating with the Highways Agency on how much of the A590 we want to take control of. There is some uncertainty at the moment about how the Government plans for re-imburse the council for the long-term up-keep of any de-trunked sections of the A590. There is a fine balance to be struck between moving things on at the NWDA's Lake House and making sure that the council doesn't lose out on the long term funding for the maintenance on the road."