SIR – It is distressing to read four letters in your August 8 edition, all criticising the completion of the Southern Link road, including doubling the width of the Carrington Bridge and causeway. A number of points are worth making.
A large portion of the money for the current works comes from the development of many hundreds of houses to the south and west of the city under the South Worcestershire Development Plan. That is part of the coherent business and housing development envisaged by the plan and endorsed by the Strategic Economic Plan adopted by the Worcestershire LEP. Indeed that plan made no provision for similar development to the north west of Worcester that might have helped fund a Northern Link.
Through the good offices of Robin Walker, MP and the current Conservative leadership, there is a good chance that the Carrington Bridge will be financed in large part by central government.
The second Carrington Bridge will be a separate structure, immediately to the south of the existing bridge, much like the widening of the causeway, so any closure of the existing road during construction would be minimal.
The A449 leading to Junction 6 of the M5 is already severely congested at peak times and funnelling more traffic from the Northern Link would create even worse jams.
Politicians have a bad name – with some justification – but it is fanciful in the extreme to believe that the local MPs conspired with the local councillors to kill off the Northern Link to placate Conservative voters in the Hallow area.
The current administration is spending a lot of money from various sources, including local council taxpayers, to improve the infrastructure in and around Worcester city and we will all benefit from that in succeeding years. We would ask for your patience during the difficult construction phases, but also for you to recognise it is undertaken professionally and with integrity.
Cllr Ken Pollock
Cabinet member responsible for economy, skills and infrastructure, Worcestershire County Council
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