WORK to de-trunk the old A556 is on time and on budget for completion at the end of October, with the entirety of the redesigned B-road carriageway now resurfaced.

The Highways England project follows on from construction of the new A556, which opened to traffic in March.

With the opening of the new bypass diverting motorway traffic away from what is now the B5569, work began in earnest on equestrian and cycle access, historic drainage repairs and a remodelling of the Mere and Bucklow Hill junctions.

Project manager Paul Hampson, who also led on the construction of the A556, says the disruption to motorists has allowed for the road to be completely transformed, with the old dual-carriageway reduced to 30mph single-lane traffic with a lane for cyclists, pedestrians and horses running alongside.

He said: “We have been grafting hard since the new road opened. Initially a lot of our work was unseen – we have conducted drainage repairs where it was very difficult to get in and repair deficiencies when motorway traffic was running in the road.

“We have been able to go in and identify what has been going on. It’s great for the residents.

“We are well on the way in terms of remodelling the junctions at Bucklow Hill and Mere – at Mere you can start to see the final arrangement. It’s been very frustrating but we have been working as quickly and safely as we can.

“The only other way would have been to completely close the junction, and with it being such a busy route that’s not acceptable.

“We’ve around six weeks’ worth of work left, and are on course to get the job finished by the end of October. We’re very pleased.

“It’s a different sort of disruption. Progress was a lot more noticeable on the A556, but with this we are working on an existing road – there is a lot going on but maybe not as noticeable.

“I am always amazed by the change since the road has opened. It’s only around nine months since there were 40-tonne wagons rattling past people’s front doors, and all that traffic is gone now. It’s a completely different feel.

“Residents can put their bins out and go out of the front door without fears of an articulated lorry knocking them down.”

Upon opening, the B5569 will be handed over to Cheshire East Council, with monitoring also continuing on the new bypass as problems including traffic light phasing are addressed ahead of major works to remodel junction 19 of the M6 in the coming years.

Highways England will also be reinstating land used during the project, and monitoring planting.

Mr Hampson said: “It’s an exciting time for the industry, with a lot going on. We will be handing over the B roads to CEC, and everything in the scheme has been designed for a legacy – from environmental aspects to new surfaces, it’s a quality product.”