The transport minister Patrick McLoughlin has paid a visit to the north-west of England to see the potential of a series of new road-building projects.

He saw the ongoing site of a new M6 link road, which is aimed at improving transport links between Heysham and the surrounding areas. The current completion date is June 2016.

Mr McLoughlin said: “Transport is absolutely key to ensuring our economy thrives. We are investing £800 million in nine new roads schemes for the north-west of England, in addition to the £110 million being spent on this vital new link off the M6.”

Overall, road-building is set to create about 600 jobs in the area.
Other projects include improvements to transpennine road links, as well as providing a bypass for the village of Mottram in Greater Manchester. The M53 will also be transformed into a smart motorway, which will cut journey times for those travelling in and out of Birkenhead.