THE long-awaited link between Bolton and the M6 is set to be one of the first roads in Britain to be built with private cash.

Construction giants AMEC are in secret talks which could lead to the the axed A5225 being finally built ... after more than 40 years on the drawing board.

The £120 million scheme would link the M61 to the M6, and provide a badly-needed by-pass for Westhoughton. It would also become one of the first roads in the country built without Government backing.

Under Amec's plans, cash would come from large organisations set to benefit from its construction - rather than tolls from motorists or an annual fee from the Government.

Developers interested in prime sites along the route, for instance industrial land off the Chequerbent roundabout, would be asked to contribute to the cost. Bolton's highways chief, Westhoughton Cllr Peter Finch, said today he was "highly delighted" by proposals to revive the scheme.

It was set to go ahead this year but became a casualty of the Tory Government's budget cuts.

He said action was urgently needed to ease congestion on local roads and added: "This is the best thing that could happen to Westhoughton. If it goes ahead it will be very exciting."

Cllr Finch was speaking after an AMEC Civil Engineering spokeswoman confirmed that the company is having talks with Wigan Council and several public and private organisations.

But she stressed that talks are still at "a very early stage."

"We are looking at a number of options," she said.

Wigan has been trying to drum up support for private backing for cheaper compromise solutions since the road was axed.

But the road favoured by AMEC is understood to take the same route as the one agreed following a public inquiry.

The Government has been asked to protect the route so developers do not need to go through the lengthy planning process again.

However, the planned super speed dual carriageway could be scaled down to reduce costs.

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