Cumbria County Council took a significant step closer to starting work on the Carlisle Northern Development Route today with Treasury approval for £142.8 million worth of PFI funding for the project.
The Treasury-led Project Review Group today (Friday, May 4th) gave the go-ahead for PFI credits after being satisfied with the county council's business case for the CNDR. The decision was made following a review group meeting on April 17th but disclosure of the "yes" decision was delayed by the Government because of local elections on May 3rd.
The decision means that the county council can now push on and invite bids from shortlisted private sector companies interested in building the new road which will run 5.13 miles from the A595/U1161 junction near Newby West, passing to the west of Carlisle, crossing the River Eden and joining the M6 at junction 44.
The winner of the CNDR contract will be responsible for building, managing and maintaining the new road as well as managing and maintaining some 92 miles of existing road network including parts of the A7, A594, A595, A596, A689 and the A6071 for a period of 30 years.
If all goes according to plan, bids from three companies will be assessed resulting in a preferred bidder being appointed late in 2007. Work will commence later in 2008 on a construction phase which could last up to two years. The government must approve a final business case before a contract can be awarded and building work begin.
Jack Richardson is the cabinet member responsible for Client Services. He said:
"This is a very important day for Carlisle, the county council and citizens and visitors of Cumbria. These kinds of major road building schemes are often fraught with difficulty and delay and the CNDR has been no exception. But we chose the CNDR as our top priority road scheme in the county and we have stuck with it, investing a significant amount of money and effort overcoming various obstacles. It's a credit to the council and to everyone who has worked on this complicated project that we are on the home straight of a scheme that offers so many benefits for the area."
ENDS
Media enquiries to Mark Graham, Media Officer on 01228-606337
Notes
Three companies are expected to bid for the CNDR contract. They are: Connect CNDR, Sir Robert McAlpine and Vinci Investments.
Some work has already been carried out to make way for the CNDR. Cumbria County Council invested £3million to make junction 44 improvements made by the Highways Agency CNDR compatible.
The CNDR is designed to improve strategic transport links in the county, particularly for West Cumbria, Scotland and the North East by connecting the M6, the A69, the A74 and the A595 without having to pass through the centre of Carlisle.
It will also reduce traffic in Carlisle and maximise the scope for development of Kingmoor Park as a strategic employment site.