Work on long-awaited improvements to a congested bypass in Newark could begin in the next five years, hopeful officials have said.

National Highways has proposed to improve the A46 Newark bypass n Nottinghamshjire by widening 6.5km of the existing single carriageway to a dual carriageway, in a bid to provide two lanes in each direction between Farndon and Winthorpe roundabouts, says Nottinghamshire Live.

A new flyover will be built at the Cattle Market roundabout for the A46 to pass over the junction, while a new bridge will also be constructed over the A1. Winthorpe roundabout itself will be extended as part of the £686 million scheme.

The route has several notorious pinch points, and campaigners have been calling for improvements for years.

Earlier this week a new link road connecting the A46 to the A1 opened amid the continued development of more than 3,000 homes on the Middlebeck estate.

While no official date has been given for the start of work to improve the wider bypass, a new Government document says it will be completed in its next roads investment period, which runs from 2026 to 2031.

The scheme was given the green light in October last year, after the Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander approved a Development Consent Order (DCO); which is a permit that allows construction of major projects to go ahead.

(Picture: Mapillary)