Shrewsbury Relief Road to be Funded by Savings from HS2

The North West Relief Road in Shropshire will receive funding from the money saved by scrapping phase two of the HS2 line, according to Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper.

In a recent announcement, Harper stated that the government remains committed to phase one of HS2, which involves a high-speed railway line between Birmingham and London. However, the location of train stops in the capital is still uncertain.

Harper admitted that the current delivery of phase one lacks a station that can be implemented. Instead, he suggested the possibility of constructing a new station that can be delivered faster and at a lower cost to taxpayers.

The decision to cancel the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the HS2 line will save £36 billion. Some of this money will be redirected towards transport projects in the Midlands that can be completed more quickly. However, Harper did not provide specific examples.

While no date has been set for an official announcement on the future of HS2, Harper hopes that it will be made in the coming months. Shropshire Council has already spent £24 million on preparatory work for the relief road, which aims to alleviate traffic congestion in Shrewsbury and benefit local businesses.

Harper also expressed his apologies to those whose lives were disrupted by the HS2 work, only to later learn that phase two would not proceed. He emphasized that the government’s decisions are based on what they believe is best for the country as a whole.

Note: The information in this report is based on an article by Andy Giddings from BBC News, West Midlands.