Lincolnshire County Council has received feedback about the North Hykeham Relief Road project from the Department for Transport (DfT) and a public inquiry is scheduled to start on Tuesday 1 July.
The inquiry will be held for up to two weeks at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Lincoln.
Cllr Michael Cheyne, executive member for highways, said:
“We have now heard back from the DfT regarding North Hykeham Relief Road’s legal orders, and I can confirm that a public inquiry will start on the first of July. As part of this formal legal process, we have now published and submitted a statement of case, which is our official response to the DfT. And we have also formally published statutory notice about the inquiry.”
The legal orders for North Hykeham Relief Road include:
- Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to acquire outstanding plots of land, if necessary, to enable the relief road to be built
- Side Roads Order to maintain access to all land and property directly affected by the scheme by improving/stopping up existing highways, as well as constructing new highway links into the new road
The objections to these legal orders have come from a number of objectors including agricultural land owners; businesses; and statutory bodies.
Cllr Cheyne added:
“A road project of this size requires a lot of work before we can start building new roads and bridges, but our project team is getting us closer and closer to breaking ground. Despite an inquiry being required, we are continuing to progress with the scheme with the intention of starting construction works later this year.
“This scheme is essential to supporting the growth of the area and keeping the county moving, so I look forward to seeing work commence soon.”
The North Hykeham Relief Road project will see a new dual carriageway built, linking the A46 Pennells Roundabout to the newly constructed Lincoln Eastern Bypass, creating a complete ring road around the city.
As part of the project, new roundabouts would be built at South Hykeham Road, Brant Road and Grantham Road. A number of bridges would also be constructed, including at Station Road and over the River Witham.
(Pic: Lincolnshire County Council)
