THE chairman of Worcestershire County Council Derek Prodger will officially open the new Chadbury to Twyford Link by unveiling a plaque tomorrow.

The ceremony will take place at 11.45am near the new roundabout at the Chadbury end of the new road.

The new 2km road runs from near Chadbury via a junction with the Worcester Road to the existing roundabout at Twyford. The scheme was part of the package of improvements for the A44 route, which included the Wyre Piddle bypass opened in December 2002.

A new roundabout has been provided at the junction of the link road and Worcester Road along with lighting and signing. The Squires will become a cul-de-sac to permit access to the Abbey Manor development from Greenhill, with a footway/cycleway provided along the redundant section of the road.

Built at a cost of £3.9m, the link will help reduce traffic through Evesham, ease delays experienced at the existing inadequate junctions and provide reduction in noise for residents. Overall the scheme should decrease the number of fatal and serious injury accidents on the network and contribute to the efficiency of the existing transport system.

County Councillor Clive Holt, the local member, said: "I am delighted the many years of campaigning by local residents, Wychavon district councillor Jo Sandalls and myself have eventually succeeded with the opening of this new road."

He added: "It will be a great boon to motorists travelling on the A44 from Worcester and will improve the quality of life for local residents in the Squires, Greenhill and Twyford Bank."

There has been close co-operation with the Environment Agency and Worcestershire Wildlife Trust resulting in a number of environmentally friendly features being incorporated in the scheme, including a wetland pond, badger/otter tunnels and otter fencing to provide a safe habitat for wildlife.

A landscaping-planting scheme has been prepared for implementation in Spring 2005, providing areas of woodland planting, specimen trees, new hedgerows and low maintenance grassed areas.