A MOTORWAY link road through Kearsley is just one of several options being considered by Highways England, it has been revealed.

More than 100 residents packed out a public meeting to hear about the plans and to voice their concerns about the Manchester North West Quadrant (MNWQ), which aims to relieve pressure between junction 8 and 18 of the M60.

One of the preliminary proposals, called the “Northern package” showed a new road linking the M61 to the M62, right through Kearsley. 

From the initial graphics, it appeared the link road could branch out from the Kearlsey Spur, across Kearsley and the southern section of Bury to meet the M62 east of junction 18 of the M60. 

At the public meeting chaired by Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi, at Kearsley Mount Methodist Church, MNWQ project director for Highways England, Jacqui Allen confirmed that particular design was “off the table”. 

She announced that the department would be proceeding with the “optimised in-corridor package” instead.

That option, pictured above, appears to show the proposed bypass running much closer to the M60.

The road would link junctions 12 and 18 of the M60, while bypassing a chunk of the motorway.

It is hoped this would relieve pressure and traffic on that particular stretch of the M60 — which runs from Eccles to Simister Island, via Worsley, Kearsley, Clifton, and Whitefield.

As well as the bypass, the in-corridor package also includes other measures, including  capacity enhancements to M60 junction 9 to 10, and junction 17 to 18, remodellings of junctions 12 to 13, and junction 14, an M62 to A57 link road, and more park and ride schemes.

READ MORE: What all the arrows on the Highways England proposals actually mean

Delivering the package could cost in the region of £5.4 billion, according to estimates made in October 2017.

Ms Allen also stressed that planners were only at stage one of an eight-stage process — which is the “option identification” stage. 

She said: “At this stage, Highways England is working with key stakeholders, collating and analysing data to better understand the issues and develop ideas. 

“As part of this, we have contacted some land owners about carrying out surveys from public rights of way. 

“The information will be used to carefully identify potential options and investigate each of these, looking at their benefits and potential impacts on road users, the environment and economy.

“The project is still in its early stages and no decisions have been made on the specific options or preferred routes.”

Due to how early in the process it is, Ms Allen also said she could not guarantee at this stage what exactly the preferred route would be or how much disruption would be caused in Kearsley. 

She added that Highways England do not normally speak to the public at such an early stage with so many options on the table.

Ms Allen added: “Based on current timescales, we expect to assess and develop a shortlist of options by autumn, 2019 to take to a public consultation exhibition in 2020.

“Any road would not be built until around 2025.”

The meeting was arranged by Ms Qureshi after a previous public meeting about the issue, in December, descended into chaos. 

Despite that, she assured residents she would meet with Highways England and the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling MP to get to the bottom of what was happening.

Following her discussions, she announced the follow-up meeting.

Ms Qureshi also promised to lobby Mr Grayling if the residents of Kearsley were not happy with the options and specific routes chosen in the next stage of the process.

Ms Qureshi said: “If we get to stage two and the proposal is one that people do not like, myself and all the people here can get together and lobby the minister and say ‘no we’re not happy with this, do not accept this proposal’.

“It will cause a bit of disruption and we will hopefully have ideas of what we think another feasible option is.

“I hope you will all talk to me and I will be putting stuff on my website and asking people to send me their thoughts.

“There are things we can do together but I think it needs to be at the point where we have some idea what the possible ideas could be.”