Reopening of Washingborough Road delayed to late August

Drivers will now have to wait until the back end of August for Washingborough Road to reopen after bad weather caused delays to the works.

Works started on Washingborough Road in February and it was initially due to re-open in July.

The construction of the final new Lincoln Eastern Bypass roundabout has passed its midway point, but additional works caused by wet weather means Washingborough Road cannot reopen until the following month.

However, Lincolnshire County Council is confident that the overall £120 million Lincoln Eastern Bypass project is still currently on track to be completed by the end of autumn despite the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Upcoming works

Galliford Try will be carrying out the following works at Washingborough Road to complete the new roundabout:

• Kerbing the central ring, footways, west and east outer kerbs and island
• Drainage connections and minor pipes, including final connections into the retention pond
• Street light installation, including completing ducting and installing cables and light columns
• Surfacing the carriageway, roundabout and footways
• Installing sign posts, chevrons, traffic bollards and road markings

Galliford Try is also working on several structures across the site, including the new River Witham viaduct, footbridges at Greetwell Road and Bloxholm Lane and an underpass below Lincoln Road.

Screenshot from a new fly through video at the bypass site in June 2020. Photo: Kurnia Aerial Photography

Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “The dry, warm weather we’ve had this spring has allowed us to complete the earthworks element of the roundabout and install new drainage chambers and pipes. We’ve also started installing new kerbs and street lighting ducts in the area.

“However, the wet weather we experienced this winter led to some unforeseen ground conditions while building the new roundabout. To counter this, the team have excavated further down to provide a solid base for the road and drainage.”

The construction of the final new Lincoln Eastern Bypass roundabout has passed its midway point. Photo: LCC

Work started on the project in 2016, but the opening was delayed by the collapse of Carillion and floods in the area.

The completion date was initially pushed back from December 2019 to May 2020, before this was later revised to autumn this year. The budget was also changed from £99 million to £120 million.

When it opens later this year, the 7.5km stretch will connect the A15 near Bracebridge Heath to the A46 in North Greetwell.