CALLS for a road bridge which has been discussed for about 20 years are growing stronger with campaigners saying it is needed now more than ever.

A new group has been set up to champion the potential route, known as the Pershore northern link, which has never received funding despite being a topic of conversation for two decades.

Campaigners say that unless it is built soon, traffic will come to a standstill as more homes are built in the area, bringing more cars onto the roads and creating added congestion at the Pinvin crossroads, Station Road, the B4082 and Wyre Road.

Councillor Liz Tucker is heading the group, alongside Pershore town councillors, and Wyre Piddle and Pinvin Parish Council members. She said: “Pershore desperately needs a new bridge over the railway to avoid gridlock in the town.”

Roundabouts have already been built at either end of the link road at the Wyre Piddle bypass and at the entry to the Keytec Industrial Estate, but there has never been money to build the bridge over the railway between the two.

Coun Tucker said: “It is as important now as the Wyre Bypass was then. There has been some success, the county council owns the land on one side and has built the roundabout with access from the north. Now we need the money to build the bridge.”

The emerging South Worcester Development Plan has earmaked land off Station Road for 600 homes but says infrastructure must be put in place to ease congestion at Pinvin crossroads.

With the homes in the pipeline, the group is worried traffic will grind to a halt unless the northern link is built giving traffic another way out of the town.

Coun Tucker said: “The county council is sleepwalking towards a nightmare, but the nightmare will be for people in Pershore, Pinvin and Wyre Piddle.”

For more information e-mail ltucker@worcestershire.gov.uk.