Renewed calls are being made to back the congestion-busting coastal relief road to ensure it is at the forefront of the new Dorset Council’s planning priorities.

It comes amid concerns the road network is not fit for purpose ahead of plans being submitted to bring an Eden Project-style attraction to Portland.

Some councillors in Weymouth are concerned the Western Relief Road (now known as the Jurassic Coast Highway) – which would relieve the A354 through built-up areas such as Boot Hill, Rodwell and Wyke, and help to boost the economy by improving travel towards Portland – is in danger of being lost due to a lack of support from the borough council.

A call for the line of the road to be included in the review of the Local Plan lost out by just one vote at a borough council meeting in July.

It was said it still might be included in plan revisions at a later date.

But some councillors believe a clear statement of intent is needed now from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council to show its support so it can be included in the new Dorset Council’s highways plan.

Cllr Ian Bruce said the defeated motion at the previous meeting “has given rise to the belief the council in Weymouth is against building the road”.

He hoped councillors would now support a new call this week to get the road built.

Cllr Bruce added: “I also hope that every candidate standing for the new Dorset Council will pledge in their manifestos to support the Jurassic Coast Highway.”

A notice of motion from borough council leader Jeff Cant is calling for support at this Thursday’s full council meeting.

The motion says: “This council is delighted to recognise the growth of Portland Port and the prospect of a fantastic new visitor attraction in Jurassica/MEMO and the need to continue to promote the developing economy of Portland. It also offers unqualified support in principle to the construction of a Western Relief Road and its inclusion in the highways infrastructure plans of the new Dorset Council.”

The Jurassic Coast Highway – the missing link in the local roads network – would link the A354 at Ferrybridge with the B3157 Chickerell Road at the Link Road junction.

Ideas for the congestion-busting route have been in the pipeline for many years but without any financial commitment.

It would cost hundreds of millions of pounds to build and would probably have to involve a tunnel section to avoid encroaching on the environmentally sensitive Fleet nature reserve.

The road project is not currently in any official transport investment plan or in the borough council’s local plan for development.

But it does have a lot of support including from many businesses, MPs and the Dorset LEP.

Cllr Jeff Cant said: “This new (Eden Project) attraction has the potential to transform the fortunes of the island and draw large numbers of additional visitors.

“However, the prospect of the potentially huge increase in traffic flows together with the expansion of the port also substantially strengthens the case we continue to make for a Western Relief Road together with solutions to access to and around the island by road.”

*Additional reporting by Richard Percival

'Sort out the roads if we're to have an Eden Project on Portland'

CIVIC chiefs say now is the time to sort out the local road network after plans were revealed to bring a new revolutionary ‘Eden Project’ to the island.

It would be located at Jordans Mine and could potentially bring £24m to the local economy and create more than 130 jobs.

It will form part of a wider vision for a global network of sites by Eden Project International, an off-shoot of the Eden Project.

The development brings together the visions of two world-class attraction projects that had been planned for Portland – MEMO and Jurassica.

However, there are calls for improvements to the internal road network following fears that an increase in traffic flows from an additional 325,000 vehicles to the attraction could cause severe congestion.

Bill Reeves, chief executive of Portland Port, said: “I think that the project is a good idea for Portland however I would expect the local authorities to look very hard at the transport infrastructure on the island, not just the Western Relief Road but the main road all the way through Fortuneswell and down to the bottom of the island.”

Tophill East Councillor Katharine Garcia added: "Having met up with members of the Eden International team earlier this year, I am extremely excited that a planning application will be submitted shortly – showing their commitment to making what has been a long-awaited dream a step closer to being a reality.

"At our meeting, we discussed many things, including traffic management, so I am looking forward to meeting their traffic consultants to find out about their ideas to deal with the increased traffic flow on and off Portland."

Mayor of Portland Cllr Charlie Flack suggested a park and ride facility if there wasn’t major investment to develop the roads soon.

He added: “We are coming up to the formation of the Unitary council, so as for the internal road network, we will have to wait until we know what investment is available.”

Seb Brooke, project director of MEMO, said: “Here on Portland, transport has always been a big question for the public. We are actively looking at imaginative ways to ensure that traffic associated with new visitors stays at the bottom of the hill.”

A planning application for the attraction is due to be submitted to Weymouth and Portland Borough Council later this year.