The route of the Penwortham Bypass. Click to see it bigger.

A final route for the Penwortham Bypass is due to be approved this week.

Lancashire County Council will move to protect a route for the road which is expected to ease congestion in the south of Preston.

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The long-awaited bypass would link the A59 directly to the A582 – meaning traffic can get quicker access to the motorway network at the Cuerden junction of the M65, M6 and M61.

Consultations on the potential route have been ongoing with a questionnaire sent to 13,000 residents near the proposed route.

A multi-million scheme of roadworks would take the road from a new roundabout near Horwick Church of England School through to the Broad Oak Roundabout on the A582 Golden Way.

Phill Wilson, project manager for the City Deal Delivery Team, said: “We’re proposing to protect the route from development as this is a vital step in the planning process if we’re to deliver the bypass and the improvements it would bring.

“We’re very grateful to everyone who responded to the initial consultation held last year, and if the decision is made to proceed with the scheme, we’ll consider the issues raised very carefully as plans progress. Very few responses to the consultation argued against us completing the bypass which suggests a strong consensus across the local communities affected that the final piece of road to connect to the A59 should be built.

“Many of the things people asked us to look at are only able to be addressed at the detailed design stage and there will be further informal and formal consultation as the scheme is developed.”

The route of the proposed bypass would not see any houses demolished.

Penwortham Bypass is the first step in a potential link up of the Preston Western Distributor with a new bridge over the River Ribble. It is funded by the City Deal – a £434 million investment in Preston and South Ribble’s major infrastructure projects.

County councillors will discuss the plans at 2pm on Tuesday before it goes forward to a decision from county councillor John Fillis, executive member for highways and transport, on Thursday.

A full planning application is due to be submitted in late 2015.

What do you think of the route? Let us know in the comments below