The 1.8-mile Woodside link road will connect Houghton Regis and industrial estates in Dunstable to a planned new junction 11a on the M1. Â The new link road is scheduled to open in winter 2016.
Balfour Beatty’s work will include the diversion of the Houghton Brook via two bridges and a culvert, a sheet piled retaining wall, noise barriers and drainage works as well as facilities for cyclists and landscaping.
A proposed new 5,600-home development and 30-hectare business district are also expected to result from the new link road.
The visiting transport minister, Andrew Jones, said: “This scheme will make it easier for people to access Luton Airport and the M1, providing better journeys for residents and businesses and supporting more housing and jobs.â€
Balfour Beatty regional director of operations Nick Osborne said: “The official start of work ceremony by Andrew Jones MP marks a significant step in the delivery of the Woodside Link Road Project alongside Central Bedfordshire Council, a road that will provide an important connection between the Woodside business area and the M1.â€
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