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Highways England appoint Balfour Beatty Atkins for £200m Mottram bypass

A new £200m bypass will take traffic away from the village of Mottram, where around 25,000 vehicles currently travel though the village every day.

Highways England has appointed a Balfour Beatty Atkins joint venture as its delivery partner to design and construct the new £200m Mottram bypass.

The appointment marks a major milestone for the bypass, which will take traffic away from the village of Mottram in Longdendale.

A public consultation on the scheme is now being planned for this winter, and a planning application is due to be submitted next year. If the plans are approved by the government then work on the project could start by spring 2023. 

Around 25,000 vehicles currently travel along the A57 through Mottram every day, including over 2,000 HGVs. The village is on the key 25-mile trans-Pennine route between Manchester and Sheffield, connecting the M67 in the north-west to the M1 in Yorkshire. 

The new dual carriageway would run from the end of the M67 (junction 4) and through a new underpass to the north of Mottram in Longdendale. The road would then join the A57 east of the junction with the A6018 (Black Moor). 

A new single carriageway road is also being planned to link the A57 from Mottram Moor to Woolley Bridge, taking traffic away from the current route of the A57 along Woolley Lane. 

Andy Dawson, Highways England’s project manager, said: “We’re pleased to have a contractor on board for the bypass which will take traffic away from Mottram in Longdendale, and provide quicker, safer and more reliable journeys for thousands of drivers every day. 

“The bypass is part of a series of improvements we’re planning to improve journeys on the trans-Pennine route between Manchester and Sheffield, along the A57, A628 and A616. We can now start the detailed design work for the bypass and expect to be able to hold a public consultation on our proposals this winter.” 

Phil Clifton, managing director of Balfour Beatty’s highways business, said: “Balfour Beatty, and our design partners, Atkins, are proud to be delivering this critical project to support economic growth in the north of England. 

“We are pleased to contribute to the development of the local area by connecting communities and bringing additional social value through the use of local suppliers and supporting employment opportunities within the area, helping to leave a lasting legacy in the communities in which we work.”

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