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The long-awaited Alderley bypass – finally opened after nearly a century of planning – may be named after the woman who fought tirelessly to get it built.

The £52m Alderley Edge and Nether Alderley relief road was unveiled by MP George Osborne at a grand ceremony last week.

At the Festival Hall later, he thanked former county councillor Margaret Melrose who was instrumental in the scheme – and Cheshire East Council leader Wesley Fitzgerald said it was proposed that the road be called Melrose Way in her honour.

Margaret, 82, of Trafford Road, who became a councillor in 1967, said: “I’m overwhelmed and flattered – the name has a nice ring to it.
“I pushed the county council and I pushed the government into it.

“I made a complete nuisance of myself and never let it go – today is magnificent.”

She was joined by Ron Carey, 90, former chairman of the highways committee and Alderley councillor for 34 years.

He said: “We fought tooth and nail for the bypass. This has made my day.”

The road, built by Birse Civils, came in on budget and months ahead of schedule and should bring peace to the villages and convenience for commuters by re-routing 26,000 vehicles a day.

The 200 guests at the launch saw classic cars lining the route to reflect the decades since plans were first drawn in the 1920s.

Former Tatton MP Martin Bell who had also campaigned for the road, said: “We never thought we would see this day.”

After cutting the ribbon, Mr Osborne said: “All the years I have been MP for Tatton we have been campaigning for this road so it’s amazing to be here and a real team effort.

“It will take traffic out of the village and help 20,000 commuters, residents of Alderley Edge and the people who work here.

“I hope it will bring a new lease of life to the village.”

Frustrated campaigners for the Longdendale bypass in the Peak District, waved banners at the opening ceremony, highlighting their need for a road to relieve traffic on the A57/A628, which they say has 30 per cent more cars than the A34.

When asked if the Alderley bypass would have survived his government’s cuts, Mr Osborne said: “The bypass has always been on my list. I have always said there will be huge economic benefits.”

The first car to travel the bypass was a 1928 flat-nosed Morris Cowley owned by John Halstead who is a member of the Beartown Car Club in Congleton. It led a pack of vintage vehicles down the road and to the celebration lunch.

A 1948 two-stroke diesel vintage Foden bus, owned by Malcolm Sample, a member of the Foden Society, took the first group of guests to the bypass.

Meanwhile, councillors have approved plans for traffic management measuresin the village.

Parish councillor Nigel Schofield said: “We still want people coming to Alderley Edge to be able to drive in, find a parking space, shop and enjoy the village but we want to make sure big lorries do not come through without good reason.”

The parish and Cheshire East Council have agreed plans for a weight restriction to ban lorries from Alderley and signage to enforce this is imminent.

l The bypass was put to the test sooner than expected when police asked for it to be opened early to ease traffic in Alderley after a collision involving a cyclist and a car on Congleton Road, by Whitebarn Road.

The cyclist, a 72-year-old man from Dunkinfield, in Manchester, was taken to Macclesfield Hospital with broken ribs and head injuries after the crash with a Volkswagen Golf, driven by 84-year-old man from Nether Alderley.