M1/A6 planning application submitted

22 March 2019, 17:27 | Updated: 22 March 2019, 17:38

The planning application's now been put in for the proposed M1/A6 Link Road.

Running from the A6 Barton Rd to j11a of the M1 - it would effectively join the A5-M1 Link Road for a new east-west link.

Construction could start as early as 2020 and be ready for 2022.

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Central Bedfordshire Council has put in a planning application for its proposed M1 to A6 Link Road.

It would stretch between the A6 Barton Road to junction 11a of the M1 - effectively joining the A5-M1 Dunstable Northern Bypass to create "a strategically important east-west link".

Subject to planning approval and securing funding, construction could commence in 2020. It is estimated that construction will take two years.

Central Beds Council say the existing A6 road has approximately 26,000 vehicles on it each day.

The new link road would help to relieve current congestion and improve safety on the A6 into Luton, as well as ease traffic on the local village roads used as rat-runs, such as Lower Sundon, Upper Sundon and Streatley. There are also a number of suggested upgrades to the local footpaths, cycleways and bridleways.

The new road would be 2.75 miles (4.4km) long and could create part of a northern bypass for Luton. The submitted layout is a mixture of single and dual carriageway, with a 50mph speed limit.

There would be junctions to a proposed new Rail Freight Interchange at Sundon and to proposed new housing developments.

Due to the size of the investment, the Department for Transport will have to finally approve the scheme and the funding for the scheme to commence from March 2020.