Engineers are investigating whether the proposed £70 million Shrewsbury North West Relief Road could double as a flood protection barrier for the town, it was revealed today.

Shropshire County Council,which is developing the road scheme as part of a wider transport strategy, is having “technical discussions” with the Environment Agency.

It is hoped the scheme can be combined with the agency’s long-term vision of a barrier to control flooding of the River Severn in Shrewsbury and in other towns further downstream.

But it is being stressed that the talks are at a very early stage, and no firm decisions have been made about either project.

The earliest the road will open, if it goes ahead, is late 2011. It will run for nearly four miles from the A5 bypass at the Churncote roundabout and cross over the river to the western end of the Battlefield Link Road.

The discussions between the council and the agency will focus on whether embankments built to support the road could be constructed in a way that they would act as a barrier and help hold back flood water.

John Everall, council’s cabinet member for environment and sustainability, said today: “It makes sense, while we are developing proposals for the relief road, to investigate whether or not it would be cost-effective and feasible in engineering terms for it to double as a flood barrier at the point where it crosses the River Severn.”

Rob Surl, the county council’s head of special projects, economy and environment, said today: “I don’t know whether this idea has worked elsewhere. It is certainly a different approach to flood protection than we have seen hitherto and would have benefits over a very large area.

“I think we will know quite soon whether it is possible and sensible to design a relief road that subsequently forms part of a flood protection scheme.” A report will be considered by the cabinet on June 13.

By Dave Morris