THE Government is being asked to invest £10 million in a major road project that could help create thousands of new jobs and homes.

Plans for the Northern Gateway — a massive development area stretching from Pilsworth to Heywood — were first revealed last year.

Now, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has submitted a bid to the Department for Transport to help fund a new link road that would connect junction 19 of the M62 with junction three of the M66.

The project is ranked as the most important — and expensive — of 11 major new roads across the region that are included in the total £45 million bid.

As well as easing the heavy congestion in the area, this link road is expected to unlock the potential for 11,000 new jobs, 1,000 homes, and a primary school — with greater benefits to follow once further road infrastructure is built.

The bid document submitted by the GMCA states: “The Northern Gateway Regeneration initiative involves the development of a greenfield site, as this provides the best opportunity to deliver growth the north of the conurbation, which has been slow to benefit from the economic success of the Regional Centre and the south of Greater Manchester.

“Here, the delivery of a new road will increase the pace at which the private sector is able to bring forward development.

“This location will provide land for 13,300 new homes and up to 1,640,000m2 of employment, potentially creating over 25,000 jobs in Rochdale and Bury.”

In a letter to transport secretary Chris Grayling, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said that this bid for a share of the £23 billion National Productivity Investment Fund was “an opportunity to progress some early wins with the overall plan I am developing”.