A TURF-cutting ceremony marked the start of construction on the £21m Cudworth Bypass.
The Mayor Coun Ken Sanderson cut the first sod with Couns Charlie Wraith, Joe Hayward and Steve Houghton on Tuesday.
The bypass, for which permission was granted in 2002, aims to cut congestion and reduce traffic along Pontefract Road and link Ardagh Glass, Monk Bretton and Carlton Industrial Estate to the major road network.
Heavy goods vehicles generated by the glassworks and industrial estate will be diverted from local roads creating less noise and pollution for nearby residents.
Mr Wraith said: "I'm looking forward to it being completed. The difference it will make to the residents of Monk Bretton, West Green and Cudworth will be unbelievable."
