Liberal Democrats Put Forward Multi-million Pound Transport Proposals for Milton Keynes

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 26th Jul 2005

A multi-million pound boost is on the cards for transport facilities in Milton Keynes, including improvements to the notorious 'double roundabouts' in Bletchley.

The Council's Liberal Democrat cabinet has given the go-ahead to its provisional Local Transport Plan, which seeks to spend some £20 million on transport priorities over the five years from April 2006. In line with national priorities, the Council wants to:

• improve accessibility and public transport, particularly for those in need

• improve road safety

• reduce congestion

• improve air quality.

The Council is also bidding for further funding from Government for:

• construction of the 'Bletchley Link 2' project - £11million worth of improvements, including modification of the two infamous 'double roundabouts' in Bletchley, provision of a new bus station nearer to the town centre and railway station, and various other improvements at road junctions and to redways

• dualling of the often congested A421, at a cost of £26 million, on the stretch of road from the Kingston Roundabout to Junction 13 of the M1.

Councillor Graham Mabbutt, Liberal Democrat cabinet member with responsibility for transport, said: "We have some bold and exciting plans for major improvements to the transport network in Milton Keynes. In addition to normal road maintenance and small-scale improvements, we are also keen to see two big projects, the Bletchley Link 2 and the dualling of the A421, get off the ground."