THE building of Darlington's long-awaited cross town route will have added tourism and commercial benefits, it has been revealed.

The scheme, now named the Darlington Eastern Transport Corridor, is finally set to become a reality after the Government indicated money would be made available for it as part of this week's £180bn transport spending announcement.

Darlington Borough Council has drawn up its plans for the scheme, and is preparing to submit a £5.5m bid.

The road, which will be called Edward Pease Way, will connect the A66 Darlington bypass, just north of the brick train sculpture, with the B6279 Haughton Road, near its junction with Hundens Lane.

It will run alongside the route of the original Stockton and Darlington Railway track bed.

Darlington council says as well as bringing traffic relief to Haughton Road and Yarm Road, the scheme will improve walking, cycling and horse riding opportunities, through the upgrade of the railway line trackbed.

It is proposed that the track bed, which is already a public right of way, will be given a new surface and be lit to improve the security of users.

The building of the road could also pave the way for a new business park, near Morton Park, which could bring hundreds of jobs into the town.

The park, which would be known as Lingfield or Great Park, has been unable to proceed in the past because the Highways Agency was concerned that the A66 bypass and Yarm Road would be unable to cope with the extra traffic it generated.

Richard Alty, the council's assistant director of development and regeneration, said: "The road scheme will have many benefits, including giving us the opportunity to preserve the historic route of the first passenger train."

Darlington council already owns most of the land involved in the scheme, but says compulsory purchase orders would be needed to acquire the rest.

Once the first stage of the corridor is built, it will be extended to terminate at Faverdale, near the A1.

The council expects to know whether its bid has been successful in December. If it is approved, work could start in 2002, with completion expected two years later