Plans have been revealed for major improvements to the A46 Newark Bypass as part of plans to tackle congestion not only in Newark but also between Leicester to Lincolnshire via Nottinghamshire.
The plans, which are estimated to cost £450m, are now open for the public consultation with two options having been selected by Highways England.
According to a report by the Nottingham Post, option 1 woyukd include adding traffic lights to the Cattle Market junction and the layout changed for the A46 to pass through the centre of the roundabout. Then, the A617 Kelham Road would also be diverted to a new roundabout with the A616 Great North Road to the north of the junction, in order to reduce delays at Cattle Market junction. The Great North Road would also be widened to provide two lanes in each direction.
At the Winthorpe roundabout, the first option would see the new section of A46 cross over the A1 to the south of Winthorpe and join back with the existing A46 to the west of Winthorpe junction. This junction would then be enlarged and traffic lights also added to improve traffic flow. A new flyover across the A46 would provide access from Friendly Farmer roundabout and the A1 to the A46 eastbound.
Option 2 would see a flyover being built at the Cattle Market junction, meaning the A46 would be elevated to pass over the roundabout.
Kelham Road and Great North Road would be retained as they are currently while traffic lights would be added to Farndon junction to improve flows on this roundabout during peak hours.
The new section of A46 would cross over the A1 and run slightly to the north of the existing road, joining back into Winthorpe junction.
The junction would be enlarged to a five-arm roundabout, with traffic lights added to improve traffic flow. This option would move the A46 slightly closer to Winthorpe, but would remove the need for the flyover crossing over the A46 – as required if the first option is selected, said the report.
Highways England project manager, Karen Green, said: “This major upgrade to the A46 will help drivers by better linking two key midlands cities – Leicester and Lincoln.
“Cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders are set to benefit from our plans too as we’ll provide a safer route for them to cross the A46. We’d prefer to share information about both scheme options at a public information event where we can meet people face-to-face. As that’s not possible right now, we’re making everything available online.
“It’s vital that the new bypass works for the whole communit. So, I’d encourage everyone to have their say on the road’s future.”
