The redevelopment of the key access road to Wembley stadium will not be completed by the time the facility opens for next year鈥檚 FA Cup final in May.

Although this is not part of the main development proposal, Brent council and the Wembley team had hoped that a 400-yard segment of one-way road leading up to the stadium would be redeveloped into a two-way system. A funding shortfall means that work is unlikely to begin until after the stadium opens.

The London Development Agency is understood to be trying to secure 拢5m-拢10m in European gap funding to buy land either side of the road. The area is an industrial estate, and the agency wants the land to regenerate the area with a better mix of business, including IT firms.

A Brent council source said: 鈥淭here is no chance that the road will be ready in time for the opening. We would have liked to have got it in place but the funding at the time was not sufficient. The shame is that when you get near to the stadium the old alignments mean that the road is not straight.鈥�

The rest of the Wembley access road, known as the Great Central Way, will be completed on time. Mowlem completed phase one a year ago, and the Carey Group is on course to finish most of the second phase before Christmas.

Meanwhile, specialist contractors on Wembley stadium have put more resources into the project in an attempt to ensure the scheme is completed in time for next year鈥檚 cup final.

Electrical contractor Phoenix has launched a programme of night shifts as it gears up to meet its March deadline. M&E contractor Honeywell is also understood to have strengthened its presence on the site.