Darlington'S cross-town route may not be completed for another 20 years, it has been revealed.

Darlington Borough Council was told by the Government last week that money for the latest part of the scheme would be available as part of its £180bn transport spending plans.

If the authority's bid for £5.5m is successful, the Darlington Eastern Transport Corridor scheme could be completed in four years.

But stages three and four, which would link the road to Faverdale and the A1, is expected to take much longer.

This stretch would go through the centre of the town and a series of compulsory purchase orders would need to be made to secure the land.

In the Darlington Local Transport Plan, which runs from 2001 to 2006, the authority admits the only major road scheme to come forward will be the building of the Eastern Transport Corridor, which will connect the A66 Darlington bypass with Haughton Road.

The council goes on to say that it does not expect the Haughton Road to Faverdale section of the cross-town route to come forward for funding until 2011, at the earliest.

It would then take many more years to build the road and open it to the public.

This would mean local people will probably have to wait another 20 years before they could drive the full length of the cross-town route, which is designed to bring traffic relief to Haughton Road and Yarm Road.