The government has given the go-ahead to the North Hykeham Road in Lincolnshire, which is expected to cost between £203m and £218m, and will form the final section of Lincoln’s ring road.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has approved the legal orders for road, giving the Lincolnshire County Council the ability to start construction early next year.

Michael Cheyne, Lincolnshire County Council’s executive member for highways, said: “This is fantastic news for the North Hykeham Relief Road project and the people of Lincolnshire, since it means we’re one step closer to starting construction early next year as planned.

“Now that we've been given the all clear by government to move forward, the next step is to officially appoint a contractor. This will be a topic of discussion at our Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee meeting in December and then voted on by executive in early January.”

The North Hykeham Relief Road project will see a new dual carriageway built, linking the A46 Pennells Roundabout to the newly constructed Lincoln Eastern Bypass, creating a complete ring road around the city. 

As part of the project, new roundabouts would be built at South Hykeham Road, Brant Road and Grantham Road. A number of bridges would also be constructed, including at Station Road and over the River Witham.

The project was allocated £110m in November 2020 from the Department for Transport’s Large Local Majors programme.

The remaining budget will be funded by Lincolnshire County Council and developer contributions, which the council will forward fund.