High Hopes for New Relief Road in North Hykeham
Residents and shoppers in North Hykeham are putting their faith in a new relief road, hoping the project will ease the chronic traffic conditions they've described as "awful". The North Hykeham Relief Road (NHRR) project, a proposed five-mile-long dual-carriageway, is expected to connect the A46 Pennells Roundabout to the newly-built Lincoln Eastern Bypass. Upon completion, it will represent the final piece of Lincoln's ring road.
Unanimous Support for NHRR Planning Application
At the Lincolnshire County Council's (LCC) Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 11th September, members unanimously voted in favor of submitting a planning application for the NHRR project. The project awaits a significant decision at an Executive meeting set for 3rd October 2023.
The Dreaded Rush Hour
Locals have expressed their frustration with the "nightmare" of rush-hour traffic - which worsens significantly when road closures are required due to accidents. Lynda Swift, a resident of Hykeham Road, laments the constant morning traffic, particularly at the Brant Road junction.
"There's always a queue in the morning into town at some point or another, clogging up the Brant Road junction…" - Lynda Swift
Shedding light on the relief that the prospective relief road could bring, Anthony Swift, Lynda's husband, states:
"This ring road will take anybody doing that, so they don’t have to do that then," and "A lot of traffic goes up to Pennells roundabout, and going East on the A46, it snarls up there every morning... the new bypass will take the pressure off."
A Collective Sigh of Frustration and Relief
There seems to be a consensus among local residents that the new road would largely benefit not only North Hykeham but the whole of Lincoln as well. The current state of traffic congestion is described as "terrible" by Margaret De Roussier, who lives off Doddington Road.
"It’s terrible at the minute, you get one thing happening like the work on Skellingthorpe Road and it just seems to snarl everything up," she reflects.
Looking Ahead
The relief road proposal has fueled optimism among the locals. Keith Mumby, a regular commuter to Boston, hopes the road will alleviate congestion, pronouncing "the sooner they build it the better." Business owner Katie Childs agrees, acknowledging that the project will bring "short-term pain for long-term gain."
The county officials are also positive about the project's impact. Councilor Martin Hill, the Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, remarked: "the new relief road would form the final section of a complete ring road around Lincoln, making it much easier for people to get around the area."
The relief road construction, which is expected to cost between £180 million and £208 million, is set to commence in November 2025.