Lincolnshire County Council has announced that essential utility and infrastructure works are planned for late autumn and early winter. These works are crucial for the future construction of new roundabouts and the necessary changes to connect the new five-mile relief road with the existing network.
Councillor David East, executive member for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, explained that once the relief road is open, modifications to the current road system will encourage more traffic, including HGVs and commercial vehicles, to use the new route instead of travelling through the urban area. He stated, “Achieving this will involve preparing junctions, coordinating utility infrastructure and making the connections needed to integrate the new road with the existing network.”
The North Hykeham Relief Road (NHRR) will eventually provide an alternative route between the A46 Pennells Roundabout and the A15 Sleaford Road. The project aims to reduce congestion on existing roads, improve journey reliability, and support future housing and employment growth in Greater Lincoln.
Upcoming traffic management includes temporary 24/7 traffic lights on A607 Grantham Road from Monday, 16 November, for up to one month, for Anglian Water utility diversion works. Additionally, a 24/7 inbound-only closure on Newark Road, near the A46/A1434 Pennells Roundabout, is scheduled from Monday, 4 January 2027, for up to seven weeks, also for utility diversion works. Outbound traffic leaving Lincoln will remain open, with diversions in place for inbound traffic.
Councillor East acknowledged the potential impact of these temporary restrictions, stating, “We recognise that temporary traffic restrictions can affect people’s journeys, particularly on busy routes such as Grantham Road and around Pennells Roundabout.” He added that teams will work efficiently to complete the works safely and reopen routes as soon as possible, with aims to have signals off Grantham Road by mid-December and inbound traffic returning to Newark Road by late February 2027, weather permitting.
The project, being delivered by Balfour Beatty, has received £110 million from the Department for Transport, with the remaining funding from Lincolnshire County Council and developer contributions. Further information is available at www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/nhrr.
