The Rt Hon Mark Harper MP visited the Lincoln Eastern Bypass on Monday 26 February.
Cllr Martin Hill, Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: “It was a pleasure welcoming the Secretary of State for Transport to us so he could see the Lincoln Eastern Bypass first-hand – a project made possible thanks to £50 million of Central Government funding.
“Since opening in December 2020, we’ve seen an average of 16,000 vehicles and 70 cycle trips on the bypass every day. The road has also unlocked land for 5,400 new houses, in addition to ten hectares of employment land.
“We’ve also seen a significant 37% reduction in the number vehicles using Broadgate and traveling over Pelham Bridge and a big drop in HGV traffic within the city, which has helped improve both air and noise quality for both residents and visitors.
“The Lincoln Eastern Bypass has proven to be a great success since opening and we’re very excited to now be working towards the final piece of Lincoln’s ring road – the North Hykeham Relief Road.”
Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “When complete, the North Hykeham Relief Road will unlock even more benefits for the area. These include reducing congestion in and around North Hykeham, Lincoln and the surrounding villages while unlocking seven hectares of employment land and space for 4,500 new houses.
“Without the combined £160 million we’ll have received from Central Government for the Lincoln Eastern Bypass and North Hykeham Relief Road, neither would have been possible. With that said, we’d like to thank the Department for Transport for recognising the significant short and long term benefits of both projects.”
The Secretary of State for Transport visited the Lincoln Eastern Bypass as part of yesterday’s announcement about Lincolnshire County Council receiving £262 million in transport funding through reallocated money from the cancelled HS2 project. The funding will be distributed over seven years, meaning Lincolnshire will receive around £37 million each year from 2025.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “It was fantastic to visit Lincoln to witness first-hand the benefits of the Lincoln Eastern Bypass – a project we have already delivered, which is making a huge difference to people’s journeys.
“We have also announced a game-changing increase in local transport funding of more than £262 million for Lincolnshire – part of £4.7 billion extra for the North and Midlands. This is all made possible by reallocated HS2 funding and will drive local transport improvements that will benefit residents and grow the economy.”
Image courtesy of Lincolnshire County Council
