A STRATEGIC report designed to pinpoint the improvements needed to bring the county's road network up to scratch has been released.

Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership has published a detailed plan documenting ways to eliminate certain black spots.

The West of M6 Strategic Connectivity Study highlights a list of prioritised projects across the A590 and A595 to improve transport links and help Cumbria make the most of a new age of economic prosperity.

<strong> Read more: Interactive map of road developments planned across Barrow borough by 2031 </strong>

Graham Haywood, director of Cumbria LEP, believes now is the time to address these issues as the county prepares for £40bn of investment.

He said: "Clearly there's going to be an increase in road traffic movement and we need to be making a case for improvements to be able to accommodate for that.

"The developments at BAE, GSK and Siemens are all going to create additional traffic and we need to be ready for that. There are quite significant housing schemes in Ulverston that will also add to that.

"We have got to get the infrastructure ready to accommodate that rather than wait until it's all clogged up."

The plan has been devised to help cut journey times across the county and to enable people to get better access to key areas of development.

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Cumbria LEP has compiled a list of "interventions" or projects that have been identified as key areas needing improvement and has marked each one according to its strategic and economic impact, value for money and feasibility.

The top scoring projects were then listed as priorities, which will be handed over to Highways England and Cumbria County Council to assess for their next round of funding in 2019.

From then, it could take a further three to seven years to complete the most urgent projects, if a bid for funding is successful.

The A595 at Grizebeck has been a focal point for campaigners for many years and has finally been identified as a priority.

Robin Cornah, secretary of the A595 Action Group, was delighted by the news.

He said: "We're pleased that the Grizebeck bypass scheme appears in list of prioritised schemes.

"Our main focus as an action group is the Grizebeck bypass but also wish to promote the upgrading of the A595 from Barrow to Calder Bridge.

"However our concern is whether this project is just going to be lost in all the other projects Cumbria County Council has already identified.

"We also think money should be allocated to carry out a feasibility study now.

"We need to get the ball rolling otherwise we're going to have to wait until 2019 and it will be a further three years from then at least."

Nine schemes have been identified as priorities along the A590 between Barrow and Greenodd.

These projects include a dual carriageway between Greenodd and Ulverston, improving junctions across the whole stretch of the road and creating a new Ulverston bypass connecting with the A590 near Swarthmoor.

Suggestions to dual the road further along the A590 at Haverthwaite have also been made, in addition to key flood defence work at Newby Bridge.

Ulverston mayor Mark Wilson welcomed Cumbria LEP's efforts and believes any improvement could make a substantial impact on the area.

He said: "It's a good thing to improve all the roads considering all the housing that's going to be built so we need to keep the powerhouse of Barrow and Ulverston as best we can.

"I'm pleased that the LEP is looking to the future and working on this."