North Hykeham Relief Road, Lincolnshire
We supported Lincolnshire County Council in the development of the North Hykeham Relief Road, which secured £110m of Government funding in 2020 and will benefit both road and active travel users.
What is the scheme?
The North Hykeham Relief Road is a new 70mph dual carriageway that will complete the orbital ring road around Lincoln. Located towards the south of the city, it will tie into the existing roundabout where Newark Road meets the A46 and then link to the Lincoln Eastern Bypass.
New pedestrian and cycling routes will also be included along the length of the road, which will tie in with the existing facilities at the Lincoln Eastern Bypass, A46 Roundabout, bisecting routes and the Viking Way. This will encourage alternative means of sustainable transport in and around the city while also helping to reduce the carbon impact for those travelling by bike or foot. The facilities will be appropriate for equestrian use, which in turn will improve access to the open countryside for users. The crossing facilities over the relief road will all be grade separated, thus ensuring safe and attractive use.
What will the scheme do?
- Improve safety: Reducing the number of accidents by moving traffic from less appropriate routes, such as those on rural roads to the south of Lincoln, to the new dual carriageway.
- Provide Strategic Connectivity: Connecting key road networks to both the free ports and the coastal tourism industry, while providing much needed resilience and travel choice to those using the existing western bypass.
- Tackle Rat Running: There is a significant local issue with the adjacent villages being used as local rat running routes between the two ends of the existing orbital road.
- Upgrade public transport: Improving public transport journey times and reliability by reducing congestion on existing roads. It will also provide access to new housing developments planned in the area, ensuring public transport links are in place for new residents.
- Encourage active travel: Enhancing the experience of active travel users including pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians.
- Provide new jobs and homes: Unlocking areas along the relief road for housing developments and new businesses, with an estimated 2,000 homes and 5 hectares of employment land.
What happens next?
In 2019, the North Hykeham Relief Road was submitted to the Department for Transport by Midlands Connect for Large Local Major funding. The scheme has since been awarded £110 million, with works expected to begin in 2025. The scheme is proposed to be completed by the end of 2027.