By Pam McClounie

Last updated at 13:16, Monday, 19 March 2012

Motorists in Carlisle face 18 weeks of roadwork misery from today as work gets underway to prepare an area for the arrival of the new Sainsbury’s store.

The area around Caldewgate is being worked on by contractors carrying out road alterations to allow the new Sainsbury’s supermarket to go ahead

Barr is carrying out the road alterations on behalf of Sainsbury’s on Shaddongate and Caldewgate.

A spokesman for Cumbria County Council, which manages roads in the city, said: “The work is programmed to last 18 weeks in total, starting today.

“There will be lane reductions in place and temporary traffic lights at times but the roads will remain open at all times.”

The city’s new western bypass is expected to relieve some of the traffic that would normally have headed through the area.

Construction work on the Sainsbury’s site will begin today .

Project manager Nick Alston said seeing the work begin was the culmination of “a number of years” of planning and development.

“It’s very exciting to finally see our store move towards fruition,” he said. “We can’t wait for the doors to open this autumn.”

A sod-cutting ceremony attended by city MP John Stevenson and former MP Eric Martlew took place on Friday.

The £40m supermarket will create 450 jobs.

It will be the firm’s second shop in Carlisle as it already has a branch on Scotland Road in Stanwix.

Demolition started late last year to clear the site, which had housed a row of shops on Church Street and vacant warehousing and industrial units at the corner of Bridge Street and Bridge Lane.

The 60,000 sq ft store will have parking for 446 cars and a petrol station.

The roadworks plan shows that one of the bus stops, outside the former Globe pub, is to be moved.

The pub, which has stood empty for nearly two years, has been sold to Carlisle builder and property developer Wayne McKnight.

First published at 11:28, Monday, 19 March 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk