exposes

town's

'weakest

link'

FOOTBALL fans stuck in match-day tailbacks on the A556 beeped their horns on Saturday in support of a new motorway being built through Knutsford's countryside.

Many Manchester United and Arsenal supporters said it was about time that the Government invested in a new road to link the M6 and M56.

As they joined the customary queues, campaigners wandered among the cars for more than three hours, handing out leaflets.

"We wanted to say that there have been enough reports, now it's time for action," said organiser Linda Lord.

Two months ago Transport Secretary Alistair Darling commissioned a study into the future of the busy commuter road and the M6.

A spokesman said they would assess the viability of improving junction 20 or building a new motorway to link the M6 and M56.

Results

But the results are not expected until the spring.

On Monday Mrs Lord said the newly-launched A556 Link Action Group supported the solution that would improve safety on Knutsford's roads.

"I personally know of four people who have been killed on that road," she said.

"As much as we're hoping to solve the congestion problem, it's the danger that's important."

She said it was incredible that Manchester did not have a continuous motorway link to and from the south.

"The weak link is a four-mile stretch of the A556," she said.

"It has two traffic light crossroads, 70 properties, a golf course entrance, old people's home, pedestrian pavements, bus stops and a cattle crossing, yet it is used as part of the motorway network by up to 60,000 vehicles every day."

Plans to build the motorway date back to 1989 when the Department for Transport unveiled the scheme at the Swan Hotel.

A final decision was expected in December, but instead the Government agreed to widen the M6 to junction 19 only.

Last month campaigners against the M6-M56 link road said the Government should make similar changes to junction 20.