THE Weymouth Relief Road has been rather a long time in coming. If sheer support were the determining factor, Weymouth would have had its relief road built years ago.

There were calls as far back as the 1920s for a road to relieve the main route into town.

Former county councillor for Broadwey Alan Chedzoy recalls an elderly neighbour telling him that when she was looking to buy a house in Spa Road in 1935 she was told to avoid looking at certain properties ‘because a relief road might be coming through’.

It was not until 1948 that a relief road was first proposed in the Local Plan.

In 1950 the Dorset Echo reported a councillor’s concerns that Weymouth faced a ‘complete traffic standstill’ unless something was done to relieve the congestion in Dorchester Road.

Later, a plan was published detailing the route for a dual carriageway from the summit of Ridgeway Hill to Westham Bridge.

A bypass from Mount Pleasant to the town centre did become a reality in the 1980s, but a relief road for the northern half of town had to wait considerably longer.

In the 1980s the Weymouth Relief Road was a ‘soon to be built’ hope which only ranked sixth on the county council’s priority list. In early 1988 a public inquiry was held into proposals for development in the Lorton area which included a new single carriageway route to Littlemoor. These proposals were refused consent by the Secretary of State.

More studies were undertaken into alternative route options and alignments for a dual carriageway road between the Ridgeway and north Weymouth and by 1991 there was talk of starting the new £19million road with a link to Preston by 1994.

A choice of three colours dominated the town’s future. Purple Route proposals envisaged a carriageway between Ridgeway and Chickerell, the Orange Route went from Mount Pleasant to Ridgeway with a link to Preston, while the Brown Route did the same but took a different route to Littlemoor.

The Brown Route, which skirted past Horselynch Plantation (Teddy Bear Woods) was recommended although this was unpopular with some who claimed it represented an environmental threat.

As protesters took to the trees, a Ban The Brown Route campaign was launched by Friends of the Earth over fears the scheme would destroy nature and open the way for development in the Lorton Valley.

Opponents pinned their hopes on a public inquiry but there were other problems to consider after funding became an issue in February 1995 when the Government asked Dorset to review calculations claimed to justify the four-lane road.

A public inquiry a year later came out in favour of the Brown Route and compulsory purchase orders were later confirmed but the Government was criticised for dithering over funding.

A White Paper on transport published in 1998 appeared to be at odds with the project which was going to be built over sensitive sites but pressure grew on ministers to make a decision.

All hell broke lose with calls for a new public inquiry after it was revealed that planning permission for the route had expired and there then followed desperate attempts to save the scheme.

Following a Government announcement that the scheme would be shelved, the county council submitted new proposals in early 2000 for a scaled-down Brown Route consisting of a single carriageway.

In 2000 the controversial Brown Route finally got the go-ahead. A Dorset Echo poll at the time had showed the majority of residents backed a relief road, and our plea in support of the scheme was handed to Roads Minister Keith Hill.

But the Brown Route was soon history as support switched back to the previously rejected Orange Route by 2003 because it was cheaper – an estimated £54.6million – and felt to be less damaging to nature interests.

Wildlife groups praised the county council for the switch.

Jubilant supporters celebrated in September 2004 when the relief road was granted final Government approval.

West Dorset District Council, which also supports the road, was rocked in January 2006 when an inspector recommended deleting the top part of the road from the West Dorset Local Plan because of its landscape impact.

The council reaffirmed its support for the road and said it would benefit both towns.

In July 2006 the Government agreed priority funding for the £77million Orange Route and planning permission was finally granted for the scheme in April 2007.

The whole question of a relief road was thrown back into the melting pot when a public inquiry was called to look into compulsory purchase and side road orders for the scheme which was now put at £84million.

The county council needed to acquire dozens of lots totalling more than 300 acres. The long inquiry, which was adjourned a number of times, heard dozens of submissions from supporters and opponents of the scheme before it closed in March 2008.

The inquiry came out in the council’s favour later that year, giving the Weymouth Relief Road the green light.

Archaeological investigations along the route began and earthworks started in 2009.