A VITAL link road which could dramatically cut congestion in North Swindon has been opened by Mayor David Cox.

Nearly a year after work started, the long-awaited £15m Northern Orbital dual carriageway is now open to traffic.

The bypass stretches about three miles from the A419 at Blunsdon to West Swindon and gives motorists a direct route from north Swindon to junction 16 of the M4.

Until now drivers have been faced with heavy traffic jams in the area entering Swindon along Cricklade Road.

The new route will take drivers away from residential areas like Pinehurst, Penhill and Upper Stratton.

The director of the North Swindon Devel-opment company, David Thompson, welcomed councillors, business people and members of the press to the opening ceremony yesterday before handing over to Coun Cox.

Cutting the ribbon, the mayor proclaimed the opening of the new road.

He said: "This is an important step forward for the people of the borough."

A cavalcade of about a dozen cars, including the Evening Advertiser vintage bus, then proceeded down the road at a leisurely pace.

The new road kick-starts the final phase of the Northern Devel-opment Area called Haydon Sector Three, which will include four primary schools, a secondary school and a village centre.

It also provides the infrastructure to begin work on the Priory Vale development of 5,500 new homes. And it provides a direct link to the massive new Asda Wal-Mart store in Haydon Wick, which is due to open on Monday at 10am.

The giant superstore will have 96,000 square feet of selling space.

The huge £25m store took eight months to develop and will sell a huge range of consumer goods.

The opening of the Northern Orbital is a big step for the town and the first stage in the Northern Development Area.

n The project was overseen by the North Swindon Development Company (NSDC), which is made up of different companies, including Bryant Homes, George Wimpey and Crest Nicholson plc.

n Construction was carried out by Edmund Nuttall Limited and includes footpaths, cycleways, and bridges over Haydon Wick stream.

n The three-mile stretch of dual carriageway has 12 signal-controlled junctions. Unusually for a Swindon road, it has no roundabouts which engineers say will mean better traffic flow and a more effective control of traffic movement.

n A key feature of the road is the use of a unique noise reducing surface material known as stone mastic asphalt. This material, although more expensive than traditional surfacing has been proved to reduce traffic noise by an average of three decibels.

n Badger fences and newt barriers have been erected at strategic points along the road. A culvert running below Haydon End Farm Stream proves a mammal and newt shelf.

Future plans include proposals to extend the NOR from the Great Western Way to Cricklade Road, effectively linking the M4 and the A419.