£100m Shrewsbury relief road plan

Barry Moore, environmental expert on the project, describes Shropshire Council's preferred route for the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road.

Publication date 25 September 2009.

According to Shropshire Council the proposed, relief road is expected to cost £100 million and, depending upon consultation, planning procedures and land acquisition, building could start in 2014, with a potential completion date of 2017.

The route would join the Churncote Roundabout (between A5/A458) with Battlefield Roundabout (to the North East), completing the ring road around Shrewsbury.

The road has proved a controversial subject since it was first proposed in the mid 1980s. Supporters hope the road will reduce congestion and noise pollution in the town centre, and improve air quality, as well as speeding up journey times.

However some environmental groups, including the Campaign To Protect Rural England (CPRE), fear that the scheme will increase traffic overall, have a negative effect on the countryside north of Shrewsbury and remove potential trade from the town centre.