Work to Start on North Hykeham Relief Road After £110m Funding Release

Construction of a major road scheme in Lincolnshire is set to begin next month following confirmation that government funding has been released.

The government has approved £110m towards the £218m North Hykeham relief road project being delivered by Lincolnshire County Council. The funding enables work to commence on the new dual carriageway linking the A46 and A15, with main contractor Balfour Beatty targeting completion in May 2029.

The transport secretary approved the scheme’s legal orders in November. Although the Department for Transportoriginally allocated the £110m in November 2020 through its ‘large local majors’ programme, formal release of the funding has only now been confirmed.

The total project cost is currently estimated at between £203m and £218m. The remaining balance will be covered by the county council, supported by developer contributions that the authority will forward fund.

The new road is intended to improve access into Lincoln, ease congestion in nearby villages and unlock land for up to 4,500 new homes around the city. The scheme is also expected to facilitate approximately seven hectares of employment space.

Lincolnshire County Council appointed Balfour Beatty under a pre-construction services agreement in April 2022.

Sean Matthews, leader of Lincolnshire County Council, described the funding confirmation as a major milestone for the project.

“This is a huge milestone for the project. We’ve now cleared the final hurdle of getting the final piece of Lincoln’s ring road built. Now that all funding for the scheme is in place, our focus will be on making sure Balfour Beatty is ready to hit the ground running ahead of breaking ground in March.

“This road will offer huge economic benefits when it’s finished, including opening up land for 4,500 homes and seven hectares of employment space. It will also contribute £800m in economic benefits for the county over the next 60 years, which is a massive amount.”