Council welcomes Midlands Connect support for M54/M6 link
Telford & Wrekin Council has welcomed the news that Midlands Connect is calling for the earliest possible construction of the M54 to M6 Link road.
Midlands Connect is the transport partner of the Midlands Engine and works to research, develop and recommend projects which provide the biggest possible economic and social benefits for the region.
Telford & Wrekin Council has long lobbied for the link to be constructed as it believes there will be significant social and economic benefits for the borough.
The Department for Transport said last year that it is still committed to the link being built as soon as possible.
The link road is among 10 regional priority schemes that Midlands Connect is asking Highways England for clarity on, to ensure that those earmarked to start construction by March 2020 are completed by 2025.
“We welcome the support of Midlands Connect in calling for the earliest possible construction of the M54/M6 link road,” said Dominic Proud, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Service Delivery Manager for Highways, Transport and Engineering.
“Getting this link built is the most urgent improvement to the region’s motorway network as far as we are concerned.
“One of the things that makes Telford attractive to external investors is the fantastic transport links the borough enjoys. But getting a proper motorway link to the M54 to the M6 northbound would be the icing on the cake.”
Simon Statham, Director of Technical Programmes at Midlands Connect, said: “As far as we’re concerned, the M54-M6 link simply must happen. This project is one of our top regional priorities and a potential game changer for the Midlands motorway network.
“All our plans assume that this link is already in place. It is a strategic imperative and further delays must be avoided.”
