Highways England (HE) has completed the Cheshire’s £192m A556 Knutsford to Bowdon dual carriageway in the UK.

The new four-mile road bypasses the old A556 and the villages of Mere, Bucklow Hill and Over Tabley, and provides a quick link for 50,000 vehicles, including 7,000 lorries travelling between junction 19 of the M6 and junction 7 of the M56.

HE explained that the new Green Bridge crosses A50 road on the south at Mere and is a key feature of the new road’s environmental mitigation measures.

Highways England chief executive Jim O’Sullivan said:“The A556 is a key strategic route linking the West Midlands and Cheshire to Greater Manchester and Manchester International Airport.

“The old road was heavily congested and compromised by busy crossroads.

"This new road, built to modern standards, will provide faster and more reliable journeys between the two motorways, benefiting commerce and commuters alike.

“We would like to thank local people and road users for their patience and support over nearly two and a half years while we have worked to deliver this new road on time and on budget.”

The new road is reported to be the first major North West project that has been delivered as part of UK Government’s £15bn investment in the strategic road network up to 2021.

With the opening of this new carriageway, HE will be focusing on the conversion of old A556 to the B5569, with a new single carriageway road for local communities alongside a segregated green corridor for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

"This new road, built to modern standards, will provide faster and more reliable journeys between the two motorways, benefiting commerce and commuters alike."

Upon completion, the new 'B' road will be handed over to Cheshire East Council.

The work is expected to complete over the next few weeks, establishing a new link road for the farm animals but also for wild mammals, birds and other animals.

The new Green Bridge is one of the seven bridges that have been built to provide a link to the new dual carriageway for local communities.

Image: Highways England officially opened the Cheshire’s £192m A556 Knutsford to Bowdon dual carriageway in the UK. Photo: courtesy of Crown copyright.