November 17, 2016 11.45 am This story is over 88 months old

Long-awaited Lincoln East West Link Road officially opens

The long-awaited Lincoln East West Link Road has officially opened, with councillors hoping to see a reduction in congestion across the city centre. The £22 million road provides a direct link from the High Street (at its junction with Tentercroft Street) to Pelham Bridge and Canwick Road, meaning traffic can bypass the city centre level…
Councillor Richard Davies and Leader of Lincolnshire County Council Martin Hill at the opening of the East West Link Road. Photo: Steve Smailes for Lincolnshire Reporter

The long-awaited Lincoln East West Link Road has officially opened, with councillors hoping to see a reduction in congestion across the city centre.

The £22 million road provides a direct link from the High Street (at its junction with Tentercroft Street) to Pelham Bridge and Canwick Road, meaning traffic can bypass the city centre level crossings.

The new road is now complete, with the permanent traffic lights up-and-running.

Work on the new road started at the beginning of November 2014 and has been carried out by Balfour Beatty Construction.

Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways, told Lincolnshire Reporter: “This road has been designed to take about 6,500 vehicles in a 10-hour period.

“We are expecting really significant reductions in congestion on the High Street. Of course, traffic volumes go up all the time so undoubtedly it’s not going to be the panacea that we would hope but it’s going to give people options and I think drivers need choices to get around Roman and medieval cities like Lincoln.

“What we are doing is opening up what was a really unloved part of the city, right near the city centre, to investment and regeneration.

“We are saying to businesses, if you want to be in a city centre location with great links, you need to consider moving here.”

Martin Hill, leader of Lincolnshire County Council, added: “For the first time we will have a direct East West link across the city because, historically, it has always been North South.

“This will now run parallel to the railways and enable traffic to get from the A15 to the A46 more or less directly.”