MINISTERS have agreed to give Luton Borough Council £20 million for changes to the roundabout at Junction 10a of the M1.
It was announced this morning that the council’s bid for cash from the government’s regional growth fund had been successful, subject to legal checks.
The council needs to stump up £6.5 million of its own cash for the scheme, and says it has already managed to secure £3 million from private developers.
Congestion at the junction has been holding up final planning approval for the West Ferry Printers move from London to the former DHL base in Kimpton Road, Luton.
Plans for the proposed new £26.5million junction recently went on show at two public exhibitions in Luton.
The project would see the removal of the existing roundabout and widening of the M1 spur road to three lanes, to provide a continuous east-west carriageway with a speed limit of 50mph.
Two new roundabouts would be built to allow road users to join and leave London Road and the M1 spur. London Road itself would be realigned, to pass under the M1 spur, with pedestrians and cycle routes also provided.
The council says the scheme would allow the free flow of traffic in all directions, improve safety and journey times, and offer better facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, and detailed designs are due to be presented at a public exhibition in the autumn.
Speaking this morning, transport minister Theresa Villiers said: “I expect this scheme will create a huge number of jobs – potentially up to 2,000 – in construction and from employment at surrounding sites, plus it will really unlock the full benefits of previous improvements to the M1 and Airport Way.
“By improving J10a of the M1, the south and east of Luton will receive a major boost for local employment and housing. Drivers will also get a welcome relief from the traffic jams that are such a headache on this part of our road network.”
Assuming the government’s ‘due diligence’ checks show that the council is capable of delivering the scheme, the authority should receive the cash in the spring.