THERE is an essential project that is hugely important to South Dorset, but in danger of being lost forever due to lack of vision.

Either way, it will have massive implications on the future prosperity of the whole of the area. and it needs to be properly recognised now and elevated to the top of the pile.

The Western Relief Road scheme has been reportedly quoted as: “it was never going to happen”; “.....the costs would have been disproportionate to the benefit”; “...it would require a tunnel all the way to Portland”; etc. Well, I disagree with all the above, and question the lack of vision by our leaders.

This road is essential and needs to be raised to the highest priority level before it’s too late.

The Western Relief Road is the last and most important piece of the jigsaw, to allow South Dorset to fully prosper and unlock the huge potential of the Portland peninsular.

Namely:- Portland Harbour (particularly ferries, liners, watersports, manufacturing, maintenance, leisure, etc); the Jurassica project and similar. Portland is one huge history museum that will become more and more strategically important); open up the outstanding beauty of the Fleet Lagoon and World Heritage coastline.

The Western Relief Road is the master key, that will also be the catalyst to the future prosperity of the entire region.

Without it, the potential can never be fully realised and will get increasingly bogged down with traffic problems (Boot Hill / Rodwell corridor gridlock that can never be satisfactorily solved, with more and more road rage), which will translate into a negative spiral that will limit the future success of the whole area.

This will become more evident each year, but by then the opportunity may have been lost with devastating consequences and too late to resurrect!

Please, it needs your input now to activate all the top development chiefs and gurus, council executives, forward planners and thinkers, traffic engineers, and the like, to encourage them to open their eyes before it’s too late.

MICHAEL J TILLEY

Mill Street Weymouth

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