The secretary of state has approved the legal orders for the long-awaited North Hykeham Relief Road, clearing a key hurdle for Lincolnshire County Council to begin construction of a new dual carriageway that will complete a ring road around Lincoln.

Councillors now expect to appoint a contractor in the coming months, with the choice due to be discussed by the council’s Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee in December and voted on by the county executive in early January. If that timetable holds, work could begin early next year, according to the council.

Balfour Beatty was appointed to a design and build contract for the road in 2022 through the Scape framework, but it now appears the council will be re-tendering for the job.

The relief road will link the A46 Pennells Roundabout to the Lincoln Eastern Bypass and includes a series of new roundabouts — at South Hykeham Road, Brant Road and Grantham Road — together with bridges at Station Road and over the River Witham. Other elements include an extra arm and signals at the A46 Hykeham Roundabout, an A15 Sleaford Roundabout addition, a Wath Lane non-motorised user (NMU) crossing and a realignment of Viking Way.

Lincolnshire County Council estimates the scheme will cost between £180M and £208M.

North Hykeham relief road map

Council highways executive member Michael Cheyne said the secretary of state’s approval was “fantastic news” that moved the project closer to construction and thanked the project team that worked through the public inquiry process.

Proponents argue the road will help economic growth across the county, reduce congestion in North Hykeham and Lincoln, improve access to central Lincoln and enhance road safety. Opponents of similar schemes elsewhere have warned that new roads can encourage more traffic – a phenomenon known as induced demand – and underline the importance of complementary measures such as public transport improvements and active travel provision. The scheme includes NMU facilities intended to support walking and cycling.

The relief road has been under consideration for around two decades. Initial route consultations took place in 2005 and 2006, with the preferred alignment established in 2006. In recent years the project secured preparatory funding, received a £110M Department for Transport allocation in November 2020. Planning permission was granted in May 2024 before legal orders were approved by the county executive in July. This year has seen a public inquiry held in July  and archaeological works since September.

Cheyne said: “This is fantastic news for the North Hykeham Relief Road project and the people of Lincolnshire, since it means we’re one step closer to starting construction early next year as planned.

“Now that we’ve been given the all clear by Government to move forward, the next step is to officially appoint a contractor. This will be a topic of discussion at our Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee meeting in December, and then voted on by Executive in early January.

“In the meantime, I want thank everyone involved in getting us to this stage – in particular, all of the project team involved in getting us through the public inquiry process. The Secretary of State’s decision to give the relief road the go-ahead is a testament to all the hard work they’ve put in up to this stage.”

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