It is ‘all systems go’ when it comes to major highways improvements around Lincolnshire, according to executive member for highways, Cllr Richard Davies.
In addition to all of the standard maintenance and repairs that Lincolnshire County Council carry out each year, a total of £360 million over the next five years on brand-new infrastructure and major improvements is due to be spent.
A planning application for the new North Hykeham Relief Road was officially submitted in October. Construction of the new road, which will cost between £180m and £208m, is expected to start in 2025 and take up to three years to complete.
Cllr Davies said: “This will be one of the county’s biggest road projects in recent years, involving the building of a brand-new five-mile stretch of dual carriageway; three new roundabouts; and over four new bridges, including one over the River Witham.
“Once built, the relief road will offer the people of Lincolnshire a huge range of benefits, including improving journey time reliability; boosting the economy by forming an integral part of the route to our beautiful coast; helping us meet the area’s growth target; and better connecting the A46 between the Midlands through to the Humber ports.”
Speaking of the work going on in the south of the county, Cllr Davies said : “Works are well underway to ‘level up’ the A16 between Boston and Spalding.
“Near Boston, we’re nearly finished widening Marsh Lane Roundabout and improving active travel. And near Spalding, we’re underway with major improvements to the A16/A151 roundabout near the Springfields shopping centre where we’re adding additional entry and exit lanes on the A16 and improving entry and exit lanes on the A151 to improve traffic flows.
“And starting summer 2024, we’ll be working to replace the current A16/B1180 Greencell Roundabout near Spalding with a new, larger version with added capacity to help keep people moving.
“Not only do all of the Levelling Up changes offer immediate benefits, like improved journey times and less traffic, but they will also help future-proof the A16.
“Works have also recently ended at Dolphin Lane in Boston, where we laid 3,500 new stone setts to replace the uneven footway at the shopping area.”
In Grantham, work to build the relief road bridge over the Witham Valley, River Witham and East Coast railway is underway.
Cllr Davies said: “Construction of the final section of the relief road is well underway, with a focus on building the new viaduct. All six of the new bridge piers are in place and we’re almost ready to start installing the new bridge deck. The new relief road is still set to open by the end of 2025.”
Phase Two of Grantham’s new relief road opened in late 2022, connecting the A1 to the B1174 via a bridged underpass and two new roundabouts. A section of Phase Three, from the A52 Somerby Hill roundabout to Whalebone Lane, is also now open.
A £1.2 million project is currently underway in Skegness to improve some of the coastal town’s most important roads, including North Parade, Grand Parade and Drummond Road.
The team is also working on replacing gullies along Lumley Avenue to improve the area’s drainage, along with resurfacing a small additional section of Roman Bank.
Cllr Davies said: “Our coast is one of Lincolnshire’s greatest assets, so keeping the area’s roads well-maintained is integral for not just residents and visitors, but the county-wide economy.”
