A new road layout was officially opened on Wednesday at the Bothel and Torpenhow junction on the A595, by members of Cumberland Council.
The £5m investment enabled the reconstruction of the Greyhound Inn/Torpenhow junction, which was seen as a priority for the local community following consultations held in previous years.
The new junction layout at this location vastly improves road safety by providing turning lanes to remove the need for standing traffic. It also provided a high-quality improvement to reduce travel times, improve reliability and protect and enhance the natural environment.
Residents and businesses now have better access to the north including Carlisle and the M6 as well as to west Cumbria, thereby supporting the local economy.
The project was initiated by Cumbria County Council, and Cumberland Council has been responsible for the improvement works to the Greyhound Inn/Torpenhow junction on the A595; between Bothel and Torpenhow.
Cumberland Council worked closely with Cumbria’s Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP), which supplied funding through the Government’s Getting Building Fund.
Cumberland councillor Denise Rollo, Executive Member for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places said: “I am delighted that the Torpenhow road junction is now open, as the A595 is very important for connectivity between Carlisle and West Cumbria.
“I would like to thank all the locals and commuters for their patience while we have made these road improvements, and also thank our local contractor Story Contracting for all their hard work, and the CLEP for their funding investment – this road will help to make people’s lives not only safer, but a little bit easier on a daily basis.”
Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) Chief Executive Jo Lappin said: “The Cumbria LEP was pleased to invest £5m into the Torpenhow Junction to improve connectivity and safety on the A595, a route which is a strategic priority for the CLEP.
“Importantly, the junction responds to feedback from local communities and will help improve journey times in Cumberland.”
Cumberland Council would like to thank all residents, businesses and commuters for their understanding and continued support while work was progressing and apologise for any inconvenience the works have caused.
