Long-awaited bypass out to tender

The bypass will reduce heavy goods traffic through the villages

A £22m bypass for Cumbria will go out to tender in March, transport officials have confirmed.

Campaigners in the villages of High and Low Newton on the A590, near Barrow, have fought for a bypass for years.

Last year the government revealed the bypass was part of a £700m package of highways improvements for the north-west of England.

The Highways Agency now says it is ready to put the project out to tender next month.

It is hoped work on the 3.8km dual carriageway will start later this year, with construction expected to take up to two years.

Road casualties

The agency says the new bypass will significantly reduce accidents on the A590, which links the M6 motorway with Barrow and South Lakeland.

It estimates the new bypass could prevent eight fatal, 47 serious and 277 slight injury accidents over the next 30 years.

An agency spokesman said: "Although the new bypass goes through the Lake District National Park, the new road has the support of the Lake District National Park Authority and Cumbria County Council, because of its compelling need.

"It has been carefully planned to blend in with the surrounding countryside and extensive landscaping work will take place to minimise visual intrusion into the local landscape.

"The new bypass will bring considerable safety improvements as well as improving the quality of life for the villagers of High and Low Newton and Ayside by removing over 90% of traffic through the villages and reducing noise and pollution and will be a great relief to residents, who have campaigned hard for it."

The A590 currently carries up to 14,000 vehicles a day, including around 2,000 heavy goods vehicles.

Since January 2002, there have been 10 accidents in which two people died.