'Delight' as £500m bypass plan reaches milestone

The new bypass will fill in the dual carriageway gap on the A46

Plans to widen and restructure the A46 bypass around Newark have reached the next milestone.

The £500m plans are now in the pre-examination stage where anyone who wants to have their say must register with the Planning Inspectorate.

The full examination will begin later this year, and usually takes around six months.

The Inspectorate will then make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Transport – currently Mark Harper – who will have the final say.

Bridge over A1

The scheme would create a bridge over the A1, cutting out two frequently-congested roundabouts on the route between Nottingham and Lincoln.

Around four miles of road would also be widened to a dual-carriageway between the Farndon roundabout and the A1, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Farndon and Winthorpe roundabouts would also be widened, and access to and from the A1 will be improved by upgrading the Brownhill and Friendly Farmer roundabouts.

The Cattle Market roundabout would be turned into a flyover junction.

Newark's A46 Cattle Market Island could get a flyover

The milestone was welcomed by Simon Shaw, director of accountancy firm Duncan and Toplis in London Road, Newark.

He said: "I'm delighted, but I appreciate it's not going to be quick.

"It's right the plans are examined by the relevant authorities and that people have their say on what it means to them.

"But traffic seems to be getting worse before it gets better. Last week there was a queue on the A46 stretching back towards Bingham."

16,000 daily vehicles

Around 16,000 vehicles pass along the relevant section of the A46 each day.

The area is also an accident hotspot, with 77 collisions reported between 2017 and 2021.

Transport group Midlands Connect says the improvements would lead to a 30% reduction in journey times, while making it safer and more environmentally-friendly.

Chairman Sir John Peace said as plans were revealed last year: “Newark is the missing piece of the puzzle for the A46 and Midlands Connect’s firm and strong recommendation is for the government to grasp the nettle and finish this vital upgrade of the Trans Midlands trade corridor.

“It will make a massive difference for Newark, Nottinghamshire, but also the Midlands and the wider UK.”

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