The public inquiry for the new relief road took place at Jubilee Church Life Centre in Grantham on Wednesday 2 January.

I attended today’s inquiry and it went really well and lasted just four and a half hours.

Now it’s just a matter of waiting for the DfT and Secretary of State to come to an official decision, which we hope will be fairly straightforward since there were no objections in the end.

The process for this sort of thing can sometimes take several months, but we’ll be pushing for a quicker turn around so we can make a start on the second phase of the relief road early this year.

In the meantime, we’re working through the procurement process and doing everything else we can to ensure we can break ground as soon as Central Government gives us the all clear.”

The second phase of the scheme, which will join the B1174 to the A1 trunk road via a grade-separated junction, is expected to start this year and will take approximately 18 months to construct.

Construction of the third and final phase of the relief road, which will link the A52 at Somerby Hill to the new roundabout off the B1174, crossing the Witham Valley, the East Coast railway line and the River Witham by means of a viaduct/bridge, will begin shortly after the start of phase two and is expected to take approximately three years to build.

The Grantham Southern Relief Road project is being led by Lincolnshire County Council.

For the latest news on the Grantham Southern Relief Road, visitwww.lincolnshire.gov.uk/majorprojects.