Shrewsbury North West Relief Road
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Shrewsbury North West Relief Road is a proposed 4 miles (6.4 km) long single-carriageway bypass for Shrewsbury in England. It gained approval under the Conservative-run administration, but required additional funding in order to be built.[1] Following the election of a Lib Dem majority in 2025, work on the project was paused.[2]
The road has been discussed officially since the mid-1980s. Plans to introduce tolls to fund the road were explored, but dismissed in December 2007.[3]
In 2019, the cost was stated to be £71 million.[4] In April 2021, the cost was stated to be £84.3 million. £54 million was promised from national government funding with local government picking up the rest, including any overspend.[5]
Despite some opposition, the relief road was approved in 2024.[6] By this time the costs are believed to have reached £120 million and Shropshire Council are unable to pay for it without additional funding from the national government. The new local MP Julia Buckley elected at the 2024 general election believes that the money already secured for the project should be used on different projects instead.[1]
Route
The road would connect the A5 in the west with the A5124 in the east, creating a complete ring road around Shrewsbury. It will cross the River Severn via a 668 metres (2,192 ft) long viaduct near to the Darwin Trail and be close to sites of scientific interest and an ancient woodland, necessitating the felling of some trees.[5]
