Lincoln East-West Link Road gets Department for Transport go-ahead

Under the scheme, Tentercroft Street in Lincoln city centre will be widened

A £30m project to build a relief road through the centre of Lincoln has been signed off by the government.

The 18-month project, due to start at the end of the year, will allow drivers to travel between the University and Pelham bridges, avoiding the railway level crossing.

Lincolnshire County Council said the East-West Link Road would be delivered on time and on budget.

The council warned there would be "significant" disruption.

"There's no way you can build such a key road that's going to make such a big difference in a busy city centre without disruption," said Richard Davies, the executive member for highways.

"But we are putting together a plan to minimise disruption."

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has written to the council to say he did not consider an objection raised at a public inquiry in March was grounds for scrapping the scheme.

The council said the objection was raised by National Grid, which said it required apparatus to remain beneath a section of carriageway that was being "stopped up".

Under the plans, mooted as far back as 1998, Tentercroft Street in the city will be widened to take more traffic.