A500 Dualling

We are developing proposals to upgrade the section of the A500 between Meremoor Moss roundabout and M6 junction 16 to dual carriageway standard. The scheme would address existing congestion issues at peak times, increasing resilience and improving safety, as well as facilitating economic growth in and around Crewe. It would also support the construction and operation of HS2.

The scheme

The proposals are to widen the A500 immediately to the south of the existing carriageway to create a dual carriageway.  Meremoor Moss roundabout will be enlarged to create additional capacity. Where local roads cross the A500, at Barthomley Road and Radway Green Road, the bridges will be replaced and lengthened to accommodate the wider road beneath.

The objectives of the scheme are:

  • to support the economic, physical and social regeneration of Crewe
  • to improve road safety and journey times and their reliability
  • to improve the reliability of public transport
  • to improve connectivity between important economic centres in the sub-regional Constellation Partnership
  • to support delivery of key national infrastructure, e.g. HS2 and the Crewe Hub Station
  • to support delivery of key employment and housing allocations
  • to improve the efficiency and reliability of the highway network
  • to reduce the conflict between the local and strategic traffic, and provide an improved route for freight and business travel
  • to facilitate future improvements to Junction 16 on the M6

Planning applications

The original scheme planning application (reference 18/3766N) was approved on 24 April 2019 with conditions.

Balfour Beatty was appointed as the Contractor for the scheme in 2019 and they have appointed Ramboll as their Designer. The contractor and their design partner have developed the design to support the affordability of the scheme and to take into account necessary works associated with statutory undertaker apparatus impacting the scheme.

The proposed design changes required a new planning boundary to be established and consequently a new planning application was submitted on 24 April 2020.

The planning application (reference 20/1709N) was approved on 24 February 2023 with conditions.

Timetable and costs

The current programme (subject to final funding approvals) is for the main works to start in 2025, with an estimated 24 to 27 month construction period.

The current estimate for the cost of the scheme is £89.5m.

Business case

We originally submitted an application to the Department for Transport in June 2018 for funding towards the construction of the scheme subject to the completion of statutory processes. A revised Outline Business Case was submitted to the DfT in May 2019 and programme entry was granted in July 2020, approving DfT funding for the scheme.

The Outline Business Case documents can be found in the links below:

Following the submission to the Department for Transport, further analysis was undertaken, and the following reports were produced:

Compulsory purchase order and land

This occurs where the government, local council or utility company has the legal right to buy or take rights over your private property if it falls within a public or private construction project (e.g. airport expansions, housing developments, sewer, water or gas pipe schemes, and rail or road building projects).

Compensation is available to ensure a land or property owner is restored, as far as possible, to the same financial position that they were in before the land and property were compulsory purchased.

Whilst the powers are strong, the acquiring authority must demonstrate that taking of the land is necessary and there is a “compelling case in the public interest” Owners and occupiers may challenge this process and their objection will be heard by an independent inspector.

In order to deliver the scheme it will be necessary to make both a Compulsory Purchase Order and a Side Roads Order. The Compulsory Purchase Order is required to enable the land and any other interest in the land not within the control or the ownership of the Council to be acquired to allow the scheme to be constructed. The Side Road Order will enable work to be carried out to the existing highway and to alter private means of access of adjacent premises to enable the Scheme to be built.

On the 13 January 2022 the Highways and Transport Committee resolved to authorise the Director of Governance and Compliance to make the following statutory Orders; -

  • The Cheshire East Council (A500 Dualling- Meremoor Moss Roundabout to M6 Junction 16) Compulsory Purchase Order 2023
  • The Cheshire East Council (A500 Dualling- Meremoor Moss Roundabout to M6 Junction 16) (Classified Road) (Side Roads ) Order 2023

On the 4 July 2023 the Council sealed and dated the Orders and the Orders were published on the 19 July 2023. More information can be found on the A500 dualling statutory orders page.

If you have any questions about the scheme you can contact the project team by emailing A500dualling@cheshireeast.gov.uk and / or morgan.evans@jacobs.com, telephone 02920 353259.

Page last reviewed: 31 July 2023