THE £28 million A500 Basford-Hough-Shavington bypass was officially opened last Thursday paving the way to thousands of jobs.

Crewe and Nantwich MP Gwyneth Dunwoody officially cut the ribbon to open the road to motorists, four months ahead of schedule and it is thought that the freeing of 380 acres of employment land will lead to as many as 3,000 jobs near Basford.

Mrs Dunwoody led a cavalcade of Bentley's on the inaugural trip on the bypass which was originally proposed over 20 years ago.

The vehicles with their famous winged 'B' badge were chosen because of Crewe's historic connection with the motor industry dating back as far as 1919.

Not only is the new road predicted to remove approximately 80 per cent of traffic through the three villages, it is also expected to cut travelling time by 15 minutes for motorists.

But it is the news of the huge creation of jobs that has been seen as the brightest light in the project and has delighted John Dunning the chief executive of South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce.

"Not only will it improve transport links but will give access to the Basford Employment sites which are vital for the future because they have the potential to create thousands of new jobs if they are developed properly," he said.

"The site is an important gateway into the North West of England and therefore it is also important that it should be developed to the highest quality standards especially those parts that are visible from the West Coast Main Line.

He added: "The Chamber feels it is essential that there should be a balanced development providing for a mix of business uses including distribution, high tech and general employment land to enable existing businesses to expand."