Macclesfield is set to benefit from £3.5 million of investment to improve the flow of traffic at a key local junction in the town, in a move welcomed by local MP, David Rutley.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has allocated the funding to Cheshire East Council from its National Productivity Investment Fund. It will be used to replace the roundabout at the junction of Hibel Road, the Silk Road and Hurdsfield Lane with a large traffic signalled junction, helping to add capacity and equalise the balance of traffic flows.
David wrote to the DfT earlier this year in support of the funding bid. As well as reducing congestion at a well-known traffic ‘pinch-point’, the funding will help to improve air quality locally and unlock further inward investment opportunities into Macclesfield, contributing towards the regeneration of the town centre. It will also support Macclesfield’s place as a key service centre for the eastern part of the Cheshire Science Corridor.
The redesign of this junction is the first of a package of measures being introduced by Cheshire East Council to alleviate delays and congestion on local roads at problem traffic hotspots, as part of the Macclesfield Movement Strategy.
David said, “I welcome this significant funding from the Government, which will not only support Cheshire East Council’s plans to ease traffic congestion at a key junction, but also help increase inward investment into Macclesfield and help promote the local economy. This additional funding is good news for residents and businesses, and I will continue to work with the Council as it takes forward its plans to tackle traffic congestion.”