Lincoln gets £1.3m to ease congestion on Newark Road and Rookery Lane

Improvement works at the Newark Road and Rookery Lane junction are due to begin this summer after a £1.3 million grant has been allocated to the project.

The improvements include a new westbound lane from Newark Road, dedicated turning lanes and new pedestrian crossings, all meant to ease ‘pinch point’ traffic congestion in the area.

The project will cost £1.9 million to deliver, and the rest of the cost will be met by Lincolnshire County Council.

Construction is expected to begin in the next two months with completion scheduled for the end of 2013.

Alan Aistrup, Head of Highways, said: “Lincolnshire County Council submitted a funding proposal earlier this year for a road improvement scheme that would alleviate congestion in the south of the city, and it’s great to hear that our bid was successful.

“We will continue to press forward over the coming months and hope to start construction in the summer,” he added.

Lincoln MP Karl McCartney commented: “Removing this blot on the cityscape of Lincoln is a good step forward for local residents and businesses in the city and shows visitors and tourists we are serious about improving the environment for everyone in Lincoln.

“Many of us will have experienced the busy intersection that connects both north, south and particularly the south east and south west axis of the city, which at various times of a weekday and especially at weekends can be a real delay to any vehicle journey.

“I will be speaking again to the County Council with regard to exact timings and nuances of details with regard to the design to ensure that congestion and delays are minimised as the works take place and that subsequently a safer and less congested series of junctions is the result.”

Lincolnshire County Council also submitted with the Department for Transport another bid for improvements in the Canwick Road – South Park Avenue – Washingborough Road South area, with a response expected by the end of the summer.