Work is under way on a new road designed to improve travel and development in Newark.

The Southern Link Road will connect the A1 to the A46 near Newark and serve new housing and businesses in the area.

The £100m project is funded with a combination of public and private investment, including £20m from the Levelling Up Fund, reports the BBC.

The work, which covers hundreds of acres, started in spring and would be completed by the first half of 2025.

Current work makes up phase two and three of the overall road plan, with phase one already completed.

The scheme is building around three miles (4.8km) of road, which covers 700 acres of land and involves moving 1.5 million tonnes of earth.

It will serve the Middlebeck housing development, which will eventually include 2,651 homes.

Mike van den Berg, project director for Urban and Civic, said: “This is a long-needed infrastructure project for the region and the town. It will also unlock homes, jobs and new green spaces for the community. Perhaps most importantly we will be relieving some of the congestion the town experiences at the moment.

“We will be delivering lots more enriched natural habitats and green space that can be access by all.

“So there will be pedestrian and cycle links into that area and we will be very much looking at planting new species and providing lots of biodiversity net gain for the area.”

Matt Lamb, director of planning and growth at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “This is a huge milestone and is the latest project to help Newark on the pathway to an exciting and ambitious future.

“The Link Road unlocks not only new homes at the growing Middlebeck community but also a new country park, sports facilities, contributions towards enhanced healthcare, expanded public transport, and up to 2 million square feet of new employment land.”