'Road to nowhere' will go somewhere, council says

A £50m town bypass described locally as "the road to nowhere" will become a "road to somewhere", council officials have said.

The first section of Spalding's Western Relief Road, including a bridge spanning a railway line, was completed in October 2024, but ends abruptly in a field.

Lincolnshire County Council said they were committed to finishing the remaining sections but needed to secure funding.

One person living nearby called the road a "monument to incompetence."

The relief road, which has been planned since 2011, has been divided into five planned sections; Section 5 has been completed, with work on Section 1 expected this year.

But the council currently has no funding in place for Sections 2, 3 or 4, with money from housing developers and central government needed to cover the costs.

Deputy Leader of Lincolnshire County Council Rob Gibson said: "We're pushing on with this road to nowhere, and want it to become a road to somewhere."

Gibson said the original date for completion of the bypass was 2040 but added "that's too long, let's get on with it."

But he could not give a firm timescale, "it depends on the funding" he said.

People living in houses which overlook the incomplete route said they were sceptical the road would ever be finished.

Paul Simpson, 44, said in its current state it was "no use".

"We know the road is needed, as well. If you're going to build it and disrupt the landscape I think people would accept that if it's going to do a job. But to sit there and be no use is just disappointing."

Christine Simpson, 69, said "I don't think it will ever be done, I don't trust the council."

John Bowland, 44, called the bridge a "monument to incompetence".

"You have the ludicrous scenario that you have a pristine road that no traffic will travel on for a number of years."

Paul Jackson, who is in charge of housing and infrastructure for South Holland District Council said he was "very confident" applications for housing, to help fund the next sections of road, would arrive soon.

When asked whether the plan to build the road before the funding was in place was risky, Jackson admitted it was a "frighteningly ambitious scheme."

"If we put a load of houses in with no infrastructure there'd have been criticism," he said

"This way at least there's a dual outcome for the approach that's been taken. There's not only the delivery of housing, but there's also a relief road ultimately for the whole town, and that's got to be of benefit to everybody," he said.

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