A SIGNIFICANT but, as it turned out, very preliminary decision was taken by Worcester City Council 50 years ago this week.

The council approved a proposal to build a new trunk road and second Severn bridge to the south, running from the city boundary in Bath Road and across the river to link up with the Malvern and Bromwich roads near Lower Wick.

However, the Journal explained that some councillors opposed the scheme either because it would mean "building a viaduct nearly all the way to Powick" or because they felt a river bridge to the north of the city was the greater priority.

It was to be another 30 years before that approval of 1951 was turned into the reality of the Worcester Southern Link road.