February 24, 2020 12.38 pm This story is over 49 months old

Three miles of tailbacks on Canwick Hill as Washingborough Road works take toll

Delays of up to 45 minutes for motorists
Queues from Canwick Hill can stretch back all the way to Washingborough at times during non-lockdown times. Photo: Simon Dodd

Motorists in Lincoln had a long drive into the city on Monday morning as three-mile tailbacks formed at rush hour on Canwick Hill.

With the school traffic returning after half term, the closure of Washingborough Road to construct the final new Lincoln Eastern Bypass roundabout saw drivers delayed by more than 45 minutes on the morning of February 24.

Lincolnshire County Council closed Washingborough Road on February 17 for five months to lower the road by around 1.5m before carrying out drainage, street lighting and kerbing installation, along with new road surfacing.

During half term, the works did not seem to impact traffic in the area severely, though drivers had a shock on Monday morning.

The diversion for the closure is via Church Hill / Canwick Road / Sheep Wash Lane / Branston Road / Station Road / B1188 Lincoln Road, and vice versa.

This saw three-mile queues onto Canwick Road / South Park this morning — where there are temporary traffic lights too — all the way from Cliff Lane and Church Hill in Washingborough.

Reader Simon Dodd posted a photo of the queue on The Lincolnite‘s Lincoln Traffic & Roadworks Facebook group showing the congestion.

Another reader, Rachel Wasmuth, said the journey to her son’s nursery on Heighington Road took 45 minutes.

The queues continued at lunch time on Monday. Photo: Sarah Collins‎

The completion of the work was pushed back due to wet weather. Photo: Lincolnshire County Council

Richard Davies, executive county councillor for highways, previously said:  “We’ve experienced extremely wet weather over the past few months which has had an impact on the project’s completion date.

“As a result, we’re now looking at opening the new bypass this autumn.

“I know this isn’t ideal, but the important thing to remember is that the road is being built and we’re months, not years, away from it opening and improving journey times for people travelling in and around Lincoln.

“This scheme has faced challenge after challenge since starting, but the team has continued to make good progress and will continue doing their absolute best to get the bypass open as soon as possible.”