Lincolnshire’s largest highways projects are making great progress despite a number of obstacles.
Lincoln Eastern Bypass
Lincoln’s Eastern Bypass is the city’s biggest road project in decades and a tremendous feat of civil engineering, connecting five busy Lincolnshire roads, while crossing two major rail lines and six watercourses, including the River Witham.
But facing these challenges will be well worth it in easing traffic in the city of Lincoln itself and making journeys quicker and easier in the surrounding area. It will also unlock new areas for growth.
Executive councillor for highways Cllr Richard Davies said: “Building this road has been no easy process! Installing major bridges, keeping traffic moving while the works have taken place and installing drainage across the entire 4.6 mile stretch were just a few of the challenges for the team.
“Simultaneously, we have focused on protecting wildlife, ecology and the archaeology of the area, while facing flooding on-site, contractor changes and, of course, a global pandemic.”
Grantham Southern Relief Road
South of the county, Grantham’s new relief road is also continuing to take shape, with the project’s first phase roundabouts fully completed and its second phase well past the midway point.
Main works to build the relief road’s third, and final, section are set to start during spring 2021 and planned to be completed by the end of 2023.
Cllr Davies added: “Earlier this year, we installed sixteen 14-tonne bridge beams under the A1, as part of the new bridge (pictured) that will join the A1 up with the B1174 in Grantham. Next, we’re set to lift the remaining beams into place in early 2021, with the whole of phase two, including new roundabouts and slip roads, set to open next summer.
“The most challenging part of phase three will be building the new bridge, which will not only span over the East Coast Main Line, but also the River Witham.
“This tremendous piece of infrastructure, along with the remaining two roundabouts and length of road, will take two and a half years to build – so we’re planning on having the entire relief road open by the end of 2023.”
Other major road improvements
These two huge projects, though, are only a part of the considerable investment the county council has made to improve and modernise the county’s road network in recent years.
By the end of 2021, over £350m will have been spent on building new roads and making major improvements to key roads and junctions around the county. Other projects include:
- East West Link Road in Lincoln (completed winter 2016)
- Sutterton Roundabout (completed spring 2017)
- Peppermint Junction in Holbeach (completed winter 2017)
- Rugby Club Junction in Sleaford (completed autumn 2020)
- Corringham Road junction signalisation, Gainsborough (due to finish winter 2020)
- Holdingham Roundabout in Sleaford (due to start early 2021)
- Spalding Western Relief Road – north section (due to start early 2021)
- A52 Roman Bank, Skegness (due to finish spring 2021)
In addition, over £40m has gone towards fully reconstructing over 65 major A and B roads across the county since 2013.
Stay up to date with roadworks
One.network brings together the latest information about roadworks, closures, diversion routes and events, to help you keep up to date with what is happening on the roads in your area.
Information is provided by the county council, utility companies, contractors and other organisations so you can see what work is taking place, where, why, and who is doing it.
You can also create a free account to set up automatic email alerts for a specific area.
You can find details of other upcoming council works, including grass cutting and weed treatment schedules and other highways work programmes.
Spotted a highways issue? Report a problem online.
2000 years of history uncovered in Grantham
Archaeological works for the third phase of the relief road project recently came to an end and the team made some amazing discoveries!
Not only did they find ancient pottery, animal bones and human remains, but they also uncovered over 400 Roman coins and several well-preserved Roman buildings and stone walls.
The team carrying out the investigation believe the oldest activity in the area dates back to somewhere between 100 and 410 AD.
Cllr Davies said: “These findings will greatly contribute to our understanding of the Roman settlement at Saltersford, which was just south of where Grantham is now particularly what sort of activities were taking place here over the past two thousand years and how our Grantham fits into the country’s historical picture.”