Lincoln bypass secures £50m government funding

Lincoln is to get an eastern bypass after the government confirmed it was part of an infrastructure investment programme.

The project has been discussed for more than 20 years but looked to have been further delayed by the economic slump.

It has now been confirmed as one of 35 projects backed to boost the economy.

The scheme will cost nearly £96m, with £50m coming from the government, £13.6m from the county council and £32m in developer contributions.

Start date

The route will join the current A46 bypass near Bunkers Hill, then loop around the city to the A15 at Bracebridge Heath.

It is designed to stop traffic from the south having to head through the city centre to reach routes north and out of the county.

An earlier £140m plan for a dual carriageway was abandoned in favour of the current single carriageway option.

The county council had been bidding for a share of the Department for Transport's £630m local authority transport budget.

Executive member for highways and transportation, Councillor William Webb, said: "We have been working towards this for almost 20 years and it's wonderful that we can start taking the final steps needed to make the bypass a reality.

"We look forward to seeing the full details so we can start carrying out the additional work required to fulfil these conditions and understand the government's funding timescale. It is possible that construction could start as soon as 2014."