Manchester Airport relief road gets £165m funds boost

The government has pledged £165m of funding towards a new relief road between the M56 and A6 at Hazel Grove, which should improve access to Manchester Airport.

The scheme consists of 6.2 miles of new dual-carriageway on an east-west route from the A6 near Hazel Grove, south-east of Stockport to Manchester Airport and the link road to the M56, incorporating 2.5 miles of the existing A555.

As well as boosting access to the UK’s 4th largest airport, it will also enhance access to the Airport City Enterprise Zone - created in March 2011 to stimulate economic growth within the region - with the government predicting an estimated 5,450 new jobs stemming from improved connectivity in the wider south Manchester corridor.

Construction of the £230m scheme is scheduled to start in January 2015, with completion in summer 2017.

Lord Deighton, chairman of the HS2 Growth Taskforce and commercial secretary, said: “The scheme will significantly improve access from the east not only to the airport but also the Airport City Enterprise Zone. It will also relieve congestion in the south of the conurbation and support growth in the wider south Manchester corridor.