Construction of the 2.2km road began in spring 2021 with civils contractor John Sisk and Son appointed. Once complete, the road will connect junction 19 (at Heywood and Middleton) to new development opportunities being created in the area and enhance access to existing employment sites such as the Heywood and Hareshill Distribution Parks.

The new A6184 Airbourne Way will bring major highways benefits to the area by rerouting HGV traffic away from Heywood town centre, as well as Birch and Bowlee, significantly reducing congestion in these residential areas.

It is also expected to save an estimated 4700km per day of journeys by providing HGV drivers with a direct route from the motorway into the business parks, where currently they have to go via Simister Island.

Around 3km of new walking and cycling routes will also be delivered as part of the scheme, and the new road will enable the provision of bus services to serve the new development and the existing business parks.

The road is the lynchpin of the £400m South Heywood masterplan, a pioneering regeneration programme being brought forward by Russell LDP as master developer,

In conjunction with Russell Homes, Rochdale Borough Council and the Rochdale Development Agency.

It will unlock development opportunities and support the creation of 1,000 new homes, a new primary school, and over 135,000m2 of employment space in South Heywood. Around 2,800 jobs are also expected to be created at the South Heywood site in the long term, with more to follow as the wider Northern Gateway project progresses.

Councillor Danny Meredith, cabinet member for highways at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “It’s great to see this game changing scheme progressing so quickly. We are lucky to benefit from good transport links, but we want to make them better and ensure that they work for everybody, regardless of where they live in the borough.

“This new road is a key part of our plan to overhaul transport provision across the borough and it will put our residents in the best possible position to benefit from the employment and wider economic opportunities that the South Heywood development will bring.”

Daniel Kershaw, Russell LDP director, said: “The link road has been a long held ambition for this area and will unlock the development of much needed new homes and highly desirable employment space as part of the South Heywood masterplan. We are pleased, after many years of planning, to see the link road project on track.”