National Highways has announced that work can now start on the delayed £170m A57 Mottram Bypass scheme after a series of legal challenges were finally exhausted in the courts.

Judge Lady Justice Thornton who presided over the Judicial Review on the A57 Link Road scheme considered all the legal challenges and has now handed down her decision confirming that the case against the scheme is now closed.

This means Balfour Beatty, which secured the £108m contract to deliver the scheme three years ago, can soon start the North West highways project whose cost is now understood to be around £170m.

A National Highways spokesman said: “We can now begin construction and will start work on the scheme as soon as possible. We’re currently finalising the construction programme and will provide further updates in due course.”

The A57 Link Roads project was formerly known as the ‘Trans-Pennine Upgrade’, and is now referred to as the Mottram Moor Link Road and A57 Link Road project.