Road relief as final two bypass roundabouts open

The openings are a "major milestone" said Leicestershire County Council

The final two roundabouts on a new town bypass road in Leicestershire have opened to drivers.

The roundabouts on the North and East Melton Distributor Road, at the A606 Nottingham Road and B676 Saxby Road, were completed this weekend.

It means all road closures have now been carried out for the 4.4 mile (7km) project being built to relieve congestion in Melton Mowbray town centre and unlock land for homes to be built.

Leicestershire County Council's roads lead Charles Whitford said the openings were "a major milestone".

The £134m scheme includes constructing six roundabouts and four bridges, the diversion of the River Eye and new cycling and walking infrastructure along its full length.

It runs from the A606 Nottingham Road near St Bartholomew's Way, round the east of Melton, back to the A606 near Burton Lazars

'Final stages'

Construction for the new relief road, the county council's biggest ever highways scheme, began in 2023 with the final work taking place into early 2026.

Whitford said: "I'm proud to see this large-scale county council project reach its final stages.

"We look forward to early 2026, when the road opens fully to motorists.

"I'd like to thank local residents for bearing with us during road closures which were necessary to complete the project safely."