PLANS for a new multi-million pound roundabout on a key arterial road are one step closer to becoming reality.

It was announced yesterday that the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership will underwrite £1.7m of funding towards the new roundabout on the A590 at Cross-a-Moor, near Ulverston. The move could enable work to start as soon as 2019.

The proposed £6m junction is seen as essential if land allocated for new homes near Croftlands is to be developed within the next nine years.

Graham Haywood, director of Cumbria LEP, said: “This is an important investment which will help enable and accelerate the delivery of 900 new homes. It's also another key milestone in the development and improvement of the A590 and is part of our overall transport infrastructure strategy for the area.

“Road improvements like this are crucial for safety and for keeping key routes between business and employment hubs fit for purpose. The A590 is of major importance to employers like GSK Ulverston and BAE Systems to ensure better strategic connectivity to the M6 corridor, attract new investment and support business growth.”

The LEP has underwritten the funding commitment from the Cumbria Infrastructure Fund, and the £1.7m will be paid back over time by the developers involved in building the new homes. The money has been invested alongside £300,000 from South Lakeland District Council and £3m from Highways England. It's estimated that the full project will cost £6,148,800.

A Cumbria County Council spokesman said: “The council has been promoting the need for improvements on the A590 to improve journey reliability and safety for many years. We therefore welcome the decision by the Cumbria LEP to under-write £1.7m of funding which will enable these improvements to take place.”