A VILLAGE'S 65-year wait for a bypass will soon be over.

Government Minister Alistair Darling confirmed yesterday that work on the £9m bypass for Chilton, in County Durham, first mooted in 1939, will start in May.

The Secretary of State for Transport made the announcement during his first official visit to the North-East, during which he attended functions in Gateshead and Stockton.

Traffic volume on the A167 through Chilton is estimated at 18,000 vehicles per day and has long had an adverse impact on the community.

The scheme involves the construction of a single carriageway bypass to the west of the village.

Mr Darling said: "By removing approximately 80 per cent of the traffic currently passing through the heart of the village, residents will benefit from improved road safety, particularly for pedestrians, an improvement in air quality and a much enhanced overall environment.

"Road users will also benefits from a 20 per cent reduction in journey time on this busy section of the A167."

The new 2.2km stretch of road, from south of West Close to the Rushyford roundabout, is expected to be completed in July next year. It will include a segregated footpath and cycleway.

The total cost will be £9,089,000. Of that, £8,364,000 will come from the Department of Transport and the rest will come from Durham County Council.

Margaret Taylor of the Chilton West Residents' Association, said: "I'm pleased that everything's been sorted out because it's been a long time coming.

"We simply could not go on with this amount of traffic going through the village - no village could sustain that amount, especially one of our size.

"Now that the bypass is going ahead and finalised, the residents' association are very happy about it."

* A public meeting has been arranged for residents who have any questions about the Chilton bypass. It will be held at Chilton and Windlestone Working Men's Club next Tuesday, from 2pm to 4pm, and again at 7pm to 9pm.