'Road to nowhere' now leads somewhere

The road in Northampton officially opens this Tuesday

A long-awaited relief road designed to cut congestion and improve traffic flow has officially opened after more than 15 years of delays.

The final section of the Sandy Lane Relief Road in Northampton, nicknamed "the road to nowhere" by residents, is now in use.

It links the A4500 to Duston and Harpole, aiming to ease pressure on routes to the north and west of Northampton.

Mark Arnull, Reform UK leader of West Northamptonshire Council, said: "It was one of those things top of the agenda when we took office [in May 2024] and it's really good to see [the road] opening."

Leader of West Northamptonshire Council, Mark Arnull (left), said he was "relieved" the road was finally open

Work on the project began more than 15 years ago but was halted before completion.

Construction resumed last year, during which part of Sandy Lane, between Kislingbury and Duston, was closed.

Over the summer, technical checks and safety inspections have been carried out to ensure the road was ready.

Richard Butler, cabinet member for highways at the council, added: "This is incredibly useful for local people.

"[The road] should take a lot of traffic away from the more urban areas and when they start building the new houses, it should make sure that there are no unnecessary delays."