Long-awaited relief road is officially opened
BBCA new relief road which has been in the pipeline for more than 30 years has officially opened.
The North-West Relief Road links the A428 Harlestone Road with the A5199 Welford Road – two major routes in Northampton.
The road has been designed to support major housing developments in the area including Buckton Fields, Dallington Grange and Northampton West and to ease congestion.
Mark Arnull, leader of Reform-led West Northamptonshire Council, said it would "play a big part" in easing traffic congestion.
He said it would help "connect our communities together quicker", with a way now for vehicles of coming off the Welford Road by the Windhover [pub].
The new road connects with the Sandy Lane Relief Road – nicknamed "the road to nowhere by locals" – and was funded by the council, local enterprise partnerships and developers.
Building work began three years ago and the project includes a bridge over the railway and a new river crossing near Welford Road.
Bernie Van Hoek, project manager at Balfour Beatty, said: "It's been a challenging project really.
"The key to the job really was all in the earthworks and with it being a seasonal activity, we've had to do the earthworks through the summer and then suspend operations through the winter."
The relief road was officially completed in August, but remained closed until traffic calming measures were implemented in the village of Boughton last month.
The council said despite "significant hurdles such as the impact of inflation, Covid-19, the war in Ukraine" the road was completed within the "anticipated timescale".
Mr Arnull added: "There's been long delays with this piece of road but it's the final connection between the Sandy Lane relief road...
"We've done everything we need to do and now the road can open."
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