A ROAD that will hopefully ease congestion leading from Europe's fastest-growing housing estate is taking shape.

The South Stockton Link Road, which runs south from Concorde Way on Preston Farm Industrial Estate, Stockton, is on target to open next spring.

It is hoped it will help ease rush hour traffic from Ingleby Barwick by providing a third access from the estate.

The £31m project is being funded by Stockton Borough Council, the government and Leech Homes.

More than 2,000 cubes of concrete will be used on the 1.6km road, which forms part of a scheme to link the A66 with central Stockton by December 2005.