MOTORISTS could soon face quicker journeys on the A556 after the Government announced a £2 million fund to improve the junction at Gadbrook Park.

The scheme will see a new slip road be created on the westbound carriageway, giving better access to the business park for drivers approaching from Knutsford, Manchester and the M6, while junction approaches will also be widened.

Cheshire West and Chester Council claims that the project will help cut delays by 14 per cent, while helping the road support an additional 1,060 jobs expected at the park by 2020, on top of the current 5,000 people employed.

Cllr Tony Lawrenson, CWAC member for Witton and Rudheath, welcomed the announcement from the Department for Transport, and believes the improvement will be a welcome boost for both commuters and residents.

“We seriously need this improvement,” he told the Guardian.

“It’s one of the worst junctions in Northwich, and it gets blocked up all the time.

“It’s getting worse and worse all the time now because more people are working at Gadbrook Park, so the road is always getting busier.

“It will be a great help to get this, and we are all for it. We need the improvement as soon as possible and we are looking forward to it.”

As part of the Government’s £345.3 million road improvement scheme, it has also announced it will pay £46.8 million towards the Middlewich by-pass, while £5 million will go towards improving access into Crewe on the A530.

In a separate announcement, the Highways Agency also confirmed that a scheme to convert the M56 to smart motorway between junctions 8 and 6 will be brought forward.

Chris Grayling MP, transport secretary, said: “This government is taking the big decisions for Britain’s future and investing a record £23 billion on our roads to increase capacity and improve journeys.

“These schemes will provide much needed upgrades to essential local roads up and down the country, cutting congestion, improving safety and shortening journey times for drivers.

“They will also help boost regional economic growth by unlocking jobs and supporting vital new housing development.”

The A556 scheme is the second boost for Gadbrook Park commuters and Rudheath residents in a month, after the Guardian revealed that Roberts Bakery and The Hut Group had proposed a new 673-space car park to ease parking congestion in the area.