Work has started on a £23.3 million scheme to improve the A595 at Grizebeck.
It will create a new single carriageway road between Chapels and Grizebeck Village and will take around two years to complete.
New junctions will be introduced, bus stops improved and a safe, dedicated space for people to cycle, wheel and walk will be created.
Road safety is also a focal point of the scheme, with the new infrastructure planned to remove current pinch-points which cause frequent congestion.
Funded by the Department for Transport, the scheme is led by Westmorland & Furness Council.
Cllr Peter Thornton, cabinet member for highways and assets, said: “Our investment in the A595 at Grizebeck highlights our commitment to improving transport links for our more rural areas and addresses the immediate needs of residents who have called for this scheme.
“This will improve safety between Barrow and West Cumbria. It will also reduce the chances of hold ups on this route and make journeys more reliable.
“The well-being and interests of communities, visitors and road users will be at the forefront of our works, and necessary measures will be taken throughout to minimise the impact of the scheme as best we can.
“We thank you in advance for your patience and look forward to seeing the positive impact this development will have.”
Wildlife corridors will be created and maintained to support the movement of animals through the area and sections of ancient hedgerow will be relocated so their value is not lost as a result of necessary site clearance. Nesting features will be introduced including bird boxes, bat roosts, hedgehog nest boxes and an artificial otter holt.
Badger tunnels underneath the new highway will also be built, along with fish passes in watercourses and otter ledges within culverts so that existing routes are retained and, in places, improved.
The council said it will also plant one tree for every resident in Grizebeck using appropriate native species as a part of the wider ambition to do this for the entire Westmorland and Furness population.
The work will be carried out by Cumbrian firm Story Contracting Limited.
