Preparation works are to begin for a planned £49m scheme to create a new relief road for Howden.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council is due to start initial work on Monday 1 July to prepare for the creation of the new Howden Relief Road which will link the A614 Thorpe Road with Station Road.

It is hoped work on the major scheme will start in January 2025, with construction taking around 29 months. 

The £49m project is designed to reduce congestion by diverting some heavy traffic away from the town centre, prevent accidents and lower carbon emissions.

It was approved by the council’s planning committee in June last year.

Funding for the scheme will jointly come from contributions by local housing developers and the council.

The initial preparation work being carried out in July will include creating access roads and a compound pavement that will serve the main construction site for the council’s contractor and provide access for local farm traffic when the main work starts.

Adam Holmes, director of infrastructure and facilities at the council said: “We need to undertake this initial work to ready the site for when the main construction begins next year.

“When it’s complete, we hope the relief road will be a huge benefit to Howden by taking some larger traffic away from the congested town centre, and will also be a help to drivers by providing a new, quicker route.”

As part of the preparation works, temporary traffic lights will be installed during working times on the A614 Thorpe Road just south of the railway bridge.

A temporary 30mph speed restriction will also be introduced from Caville Bends to the town.

PIC-EAST RIDING COUNCIL