Councillor calls on government not to miss chance to improve A1 access for Lincolnshire as part of Newark bypass upgrade plans

The lead county council on Lincolnshire’s roads has urged government officials not to overlook considering improvements to the A1 as part of a package to upgrade the busy A46 Newark bypass.
Coun Richard Davies EMN-180716-130759001Coun Richard Davies EMN-180716-130759001
Coun Richard Davies EMN-180716-130759001

Coun Richard Davies the executive member for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, has leant his support to new government funding proposals for improvements to teh A46 bottleneck around Newark, which affects many drivers heading out of North Kesteven on the A17.

Hundreds of working motorists contend with the daily congestion at the junction where the A17 meets the A46 and the A1, enabling them to head to the Midlands cities up up and down the east of England on the A1.

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The stretch of single-carriageway A46 around Newark is seen as the root cause of regular congestion and poor journey times.

Highways England has developed two proposed options to improve and widen this section of the A46 to a dual carriageway between the Farndon and Winthorpe junctions. As part of the project, both options would include a new link and a new bridge over the A1 to the north of the existing bridge.

The government agency began consulting on the project in December, and approached the county council for comment on the two proposals.

Coun Davies has commented: “This section of the A46 is one of the critical connections between Lincolnshire and the rest of the country, and I thank colleagues at Highways England for seeking our views on their plans.

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“Improvements here are overdue; traffic from the A46, A1, A17 and Newark traffic all meet here and are funnelled into one lane, creating a major pinch point on the network. The congestion and serious delays that drivers face here is a huge source of frustration for residents, damaging for local businesses, and a barrier to the economic growth of the region.

“We think Highways England’s second option for Newark Bypass would provide the quickest journey times in and out of Lincolnshire and reduce this bottleneck.

“I’d also like Highways England to look at the impact work here will have on the surrounding network, including on Lincolnshire’s roads, to identify the wider benefits to residents and businesses.

“However, under the plans, the A1 junction seems to remain unchanged. I hope Highways England do not miss this opportunity to significantly improve access onto this critical north-south link.

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“The A1 itself is not only vital for connecting Lincolnshire to the rest of the country, it’s the backbone of the east of England. And yet investment here is long overdue too. Bringing the A1 up to motorway standard – coupled with the plans for the A46 around Newark, and the support for the North Hykeham Relief Road – would be a great start to the promised levelling-up the UK.”

Work is expected to start on the scheme in 2024 or 2025, and could take up to five years.

You can find out more about Highways England’s plans for the A46 Newark Bypass on their website - https://highwaysengland.co.uk/our-work/east-midlands/a46-newark-bypass/