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Lincolnshire County Council has outlined its £20 million plans for improvements to the A16 corridor between Boston and Spalding, after funding was secured as part of the Chancellor’s Autumn budget.

Lincolnshire received close to £30 million in levelling up funding from Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Autumn budget which was announced on Wednesday, £19.6 million of which will go towards improvements to the A16 corridor between Spalding and Boston.

The other £10 million will go towards a new cinema complex in Gainsborough. The money will be spent by the end of 2024, and will focus on numerous sections of the A16 as part of a huge improvement overhaul.

The route is key for the agri-food industry, and an improvement bid was submitted by Lincolnshire County Council as part of the government’s levelling up fund, in an attempt to reduce congestion in the area.

The improvements will be:

• A16 / Marsh Lane junction, Boston: Construction of a dedicated free-flow lane for A16 northbound traffic, making it easier for freight vehicles accessing the local industrial estate. There will also be an enhanced non-motorised user crossing across Marsh Lane arm built
• A16 / Station Road junction, Kirton: Enhancement to a fully signalised crossroads as well as widening and lengthening of both A16 approaches
• A16 / B1180 junction, Spalding: Widening of the junction to provide two wider lanes within the roundabout, along with lengthening the two lane approaches and exits on the A16 arms
• A16 / A151 junction, Spalding: Widening the junction to add additional circulatory lanes, lengthening the two lane approaches and exits on the A16 arm and the enhancement of crossing facilities
• Wyberton Low Road active mode improvements, Boston: Provision of cycle tracks on London Road, upgraded signalised crossing over the A16, consideration of a 20mph speed limit and traffic calming measures along Wyberton Low Road with a shared use footpath. This will address the conflict between cyclists and heavy goods vehicles on Marsh Lane through the Riverside Industrial Estate
• A151 Camel Gate junction active mode improvements, Spalding: Provision of a two-way segregated cycle track on the east side of Camel Gate, signalised crossing, widening of the existing shared use path on Holbeach Road, and improving connections to Springfield Outlet area

Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “This announcement is fantastic news for Lincolnshire, and we very much welcome the government’s commitment to ensuring every part of the country gets the funding it needs.

“Now that our bid’s been confirmed, the next step is to complete detailed feasibility studies for each of the improvement projects we included. Once these are complete early next year, the studies will outline the costs, risks and general design requirements for each set of works.

“From there, we’ll move into the detailed design phase, with a view to having the money awarded to us spent by the end of 2024 – the timeframe specified by government.”

Large tailbacks can be seen in central Lincoln on Thursday, as a lane closure on Tritton Road proves to be a commuter’s nightmare.

The work is being undertaken by Western Power Distribution and is due to finish on Sunday, October 31.

It involves digging works next to Morrisons petrol station on Tritton Road, and closures have been put in place to allow Western Power to complete it safely.

Digging works by the footpath on Tritton Road. | Photo: The Lincolnite

It has resulted in the middle lane of Tritton Road northbound being closed by Morrisons, and then the left lane being closed past the junction for the supermarket.

A lane closure on Tritton Road is causing a traffic headache in the city. | Photo: The Lincolnite

The footpath and cycle lane have also been closed while works take place, with pedestrians using the left lane of the road, which is closed to vehicles, instead.

The pedestrian footpath has also been closed. | Photo: The Lincolnite

The closures have caused congestion issues on Tritton Road throughout Thursday.

The Lincolnite has contacted Western Power Distribution for a statement.

The man who organised the flight which cost footballer Emiliano Sala and Lincolnshire Pilot David Ibbotson their lives has been found guilty of endangering the safety of an aircraft.

David Henderson, 67, of Hotham, East Riding of Yorkshire was found guilty by a majority verdict after a trial at Cardiff Crown Court. He also previously admitted trying to arrange the flight for a passenger without permission or authorisation.

Henderson will be sentenced on November 12.

Argentine striker Sala, 28, was involved in a £15 million transfer to Cardiff City from Nantes. He was travelling between the two cities at the time of his death, when the single-engine Piper Malibu plunged into the English Channel.

Ibbotson, 59, also died in the crash in the English Channel in January 2019, although his body was never found.

The flight was set up by Henderson with football agent William “Willie” McKay.

Prosecutors previously said that Henderson acted “recklessly and dangerously” to arrange the flight, while Ibbotson was unqualified to fly the plane. Despite this, Henderson asked him to fly Sala over to Cardiff to complete his transfer to The Bluebirds.

The court also previously heard that in the immediate aftermath of the plane’s disappearance, Henderson text a colleague saying: “Malibu gone missing on way back from France…. Don’t say a word to anyone.”

He also reportedly messaged a colleague saying: “Ibbo has crashed the Malibu and killed himself and VIP pax (passenger). Bloody disaster. There will be an enquiry.”