Lincoln Eastern bypass opens after years of planning

The bypass has been opened to traffic, eight years after plans were first submitted

A £120m bypass has been opened to drivers, eight years after it was first proposed.

The Lincoln Eastern bypass connects the A158 Wragby Road with the A15 Sleaford Road.

The 4.6-mile (7.4km) road is designed to reduce traffic congestion in and around the city of Lincoln.

The project has faced several delays since plans were first submitted, including the collapse of the main contractor Carillion in 2018.

Further delays followed protests by residents of some villages concerned about road access to the city centre, which resulted in a public inquiry.

Also the government rejected plans in 2014 due to safety concerns relating to a bridge, which had to be redesigned.

Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways with Lincolnshire County Council, said it had been one of Lincoln's "most anticipated infrastructure" projects in decades.

"Getting this scheme built has been no easy task," he said.

"In fact, since starting construction, nearly 1.4 million hours have been spent building the new bypass, along with over 150,000 tonnes of tarmac and other road-building materials."

The costs of the scheme have been met by £50m from central government funding, £37m from the county council and £34m from third-party developers.