A new road linking M58, M6 & M61 is proposed to fix congestion near Wigan. Funding requests are being made.
Josh Simons, the MP for Makerfield, asked Darren Jones, a chief secretary, for funding for the new link road. Parts of this road exist already, but they were built separately, bit by bit.
Simons criticized the government, saying change should be visible, as people are tired of empty promises. He stated that people around Wigan need this road to connect Liverpool to the UK’s east and that funding for it keeps getting cut.
Simons says the road project is over-promised and under-delivered. Plans get approved, then cancelled, or split up and partially done, so its future is uncertain again.
Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, will decide on funding after a spending review. The road could be part of Network North plans and fits her department’s program.
Driving through Wigan to reach highways slows down growth in the north. Wigan council already pledged money and sees the road as vital for new housing to meet building targets.
Simons thinks the North West must reach its full potential, and the link road can help. The South Hindley development will add 1,800 homes, which Simons sees as a great opportunity that requires more roads to support this growth.
Several years ago, the plan was estimated at £220 million for a nine-mile highway connecting major motorway junctions. This would ease travel in several towns.
Back in 2019, Wigan and Bolton bid for £132 million for the road to create jobs and homes, but the UK government rejected this bid at the time. Each section needed funding from separate programs.
A road has been discussed since 1947, as confirmed by David Molyneux, who leads Wigan council. He said parts were built slowly, and the council supports traffic improvements, accepting there are traffic issues now.
Molyneux hopes for funding from the government as MPs are putting their case forward for an improved road network.