WORK will finally start on Monday on a new multi-million pound link road to open up vital development land in Crewe.

The £4million Crewe Green Link Road will connect up the recently opened A500 Shavington Bypass to the A534 at the end of the Haslington Bypass.

The new road, east of Crewe Business Park, will open up acres of development land, part of which has already been earmarked for Manchester Metropolitan University's expansion into Crewe.

It is thought the road will eventually lead to scores of new job opportunities in the area and will allow part of the traffic-choked Nantwich Road to be reserved for pedestrians, cyclists and buses.

The new section of the A5020 will take a year to complete and will be built by Wrekin Construction.

Cheshire county council's executive member for the environment Andrew Needham said: "Whilst not quite the final piece in the jigsaw, this project is vital to the road network and economic prosperity of the area."

The Crewe Green Link actually forms part of a £17m road programme with two further phases to be completed by 2005.

Whilst most of the works on the new road will take place away from the existing highway, they do include the construction of a new signal controlled roundabout at the existing A534 Crewe Green roundabout.

Councillor Needham added: "Traffic delays will occur during the construction of this roundabout.

"However the county council will be announcing details of traffic management and diversionary routes as work progresses."

Pedestrian and cycle facilities will link into the county's strategic cycle network.