September 19, 2019 3.48 pm This story is over 53 months old

Highways chief confident Lincoln Bypass will be ready by May 2020

It’s “broadly on track” to be complete in May

Lincolnshire’s highways chief said he is confident that Lincoln’s Eastern Bypass will be complete by May 2020.

Councillor Richard Davies, cabinet member for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said the £120 million project was “broadly on track” to be finished in eight months time.

The new 7.5km single carriageway road is set to minimise congestion in the city, connecting the A15 Sleaford Road with the A158 Wragby Road.

Initially, the bypass was supposed to cost £99 million and be complete by December 2019.

Lincoln Eastern Bypass. Picture: Lincolnshire County Council.

However, the collapse of Carillion and the appointment of a new contractor set the project back by five months and left it £21 million overbudget.

The bypass suffered a further setback when Hawk Plant Ltd , which was carrying out earthworks for the scheme, went bust in January and led to another sub-contractor being appointed three months later.

Councillor Davies said the scheme had “not been without its issues”, but added he was confident that it will be open in eight months time.

“I’m reasonably confident. You can’t ever guarantee anything for certain, but I think May time next year it will be open and we will be driving up and down it,” he said.

Lincolnshire County councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways. Photo: Calvin Robinson

“It’s a massive project, it’s suffered not only Galliford Try having to take over from Carrilion when they went bust, but also the plant company doing a lot of the groundwork went bust.

“So, it’s not been without its issues but the reality is the finished product looks absolutely superb.”

The project is set to complete a ring road around Lincoln in an effort to relieve the city’s congestion problem.

Four new roundabouts, two bridges and 7.5km stretch of road will be built as part of the bypass.

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

But, Councillor Davies said previously that the project will only form “part of the solution” to the city’s ongoing congestion issues.

Meanwhile, the authority opened the first of four new roundabouts as part of the bypass last month.

The B1188 Lincoln Road, Branston, roundabout is complete and open to motorists, but final surfacing works will need to be undertaken later in the project.

Further work is to be carried out on Wragby Road roundabout over the coming months with drivers facing three-way traffic signals and night-time closures.

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