Construction and civil engineering company Costain has received a £110m contract to build four miles of road connecting Preston and Southern Fylde to the M55 in the UK.

The scope of the project also includes the construction of related link roads.

Awarded by Lancashire County Council, the early contractor involvement (ECI) contract will receive its funding under the Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal.

The project will have a 4km dual carriageway connecting A583/A584 with a new junction on the M55 and with link roads heading to the new housing areas at Cottam and north-west Preston.

"We are delighted to have been awarded this ECI contract."

Costain will support planned housing in north-west Preston and provide better access to the new Enterprise Zone in Warton.

The dual carriageway will also help to reduce traffic congestion.

Planning application for the routes will be submitted by the end of last year.

The work on the east-west link will commence later this year, while on the north-west Preston and Cottam link roads in 2018.

Preliminary work is to start immediately and the roads are expected to be operational between 2017 and 2019.

Costain chief executive Andrew Wyllie CBE said: "We are delighted to have been awarded this ECI contract, which further underlines our position as a market leader in the delivery of critical highways schemes, which support regional economic growth."

The new road is expected to play a pivotal role in assisting City Deal Partnership’s plans to ensure development and economic growth in the region.

The contract includes supporting the council in delivering the scheme through the statutory process, including planning and design development before the project delivery.