Carlisle Southern Link Road to now open in Spring
Members of Cumberland Council’s highways and transport strategic board are due to meet at the Civic Centre on Thursday to consider an update report.
Carlisle Southern Link Road (CSLR) should be fully open in the spring according to a new report.
The document outlines an estimated timescale as to when the road will be fully open and operational and it is recommended that members note the contents.
It states: "The construction of the CSLR will be complete in the Spring 2026 and following a satisfactory safety audit it will be fully open to the public.
"This is a little later than originally programmed and this is largely due to higher-than-average rainfall during key phases of the earthworks and road surfacing."
According to the report the CSLR will connect Junction 42 of the M6 with the A595 to the west. It adds: "The route will include new junctions linking existing radial routes into Carlisle and the garden village.
"The route will include bridges over two main railway lines and the Caldew and Petteril rivers, a network of footways and cycleways and an extensive programme of landscaping and environmental mitigation.
"The 8km long road will provide vital infrastructure to relieve congestion in Carlisle and provide the access and network capacity to enable the successful and accelerated delivery of St Cuthbert’s Garden Village."
According to the report the project timeline saw construction work start on site in June 2023 and it is due to be completed in spring 2026. It states: "The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has granted £212 million towards the project."
The report states that, upon completion, the CSLR will bring many benefits for residents and businesses including:
economic growth – unlocking land for housing and commercial development as part of the 10,000 new homes in the St Cuthbert’s Garden Village.
reduced congestion – the new route diverts traffic away from the Carlisle city centre, improving journey times.
improved connectivity – provides a direct link between the M6 and A595.
supporting logistics and local businesses.
active travel opportunities – safer, dedicated routes for walking and cycling, and environmental enhancements – green spaces and ecological features integrated into the scheme such as ponds and public spaces.
It states: "Parts of the CSLR are already open to the public and these are now being treated as part of the adopted highway network and any day-to-day maintenance issues are being addressed as other parts of the network via the fault reporting system."