A major resurfacing project along the A161 through the Isle of Axholme will begin next week.
Andrew reports, "This comes as part of a £1.8m project from the Department of Transports’ Safer Roads Scheme thanks to the Conservative Government’s cash boost for rural roads.
"The Government’s funding for rural roads has meant that investment in the A161 through the Isle now tops £2million.
"I understand the initial works, beginning on the 1st March, will take around five weeks, with the Council’s highways team carrying out works between Graizelound through to the junction with the A18 near Ealand. In addition, works will also include drainage improvements and crash barrier upgrades expected towards the end of April.
"These initial works, which will mostly take place overnight, will be complemented by resurfacing into the towns and villages later through spring and into the summer."
Below are further details on the scheme, and other road improvement schemes, from North Lincs Council:
Initially, five sections of the road – either side of the junction with the M180, between Belton and Epworth, between Low Burnham and Haxey and near Graizelound – will be resurfaced across five weeks, with work beginning on 1 March.
Cllr Rob Waltham, leader, North Lincolnshire Council, said: “It is great to see further Government investment in the Isle of Axholme. This is on top of a four-year, £49m investment in roads and infrastructure across the whole county which we launched a year ago and continue to deliver against those plans.
“Resurfacing work has been completed in Althorpe, Barrow, Barton-upon-Humber, Brigg, Broughton, Epworth, Hibaldstow, Killingholme, New Holland, Scunthorpe and Winteringham and further work will now take place along the stretches of road which connect the Isle’s towns and villages.
“We completed an upgrade of the gyratory recently too which was an investment of more than £240,000 meaning the total investment by summer in the A161 will be more than £2m.”
The initial works will be complemented by resurfacing into the towns and villages later through spring and into the summer, with crash barrier upgrades expected towards the end of April.
The majority of work will be carried out overnight. All residents and businesses within the works will be able to access their properties and access for emergency vehicles will be maintained but some minor disruption is anticipated as traffic management will be in place to facilitate the works.
This latest investment comes as part of a raft of strategic infrastructure and construction projects. The plan, started in late Spring last year, was to upgrade many miles of roads in dozens of communities across the region, develop several new junctions, open up a number of future development sites and support the next phase of building work on the town’s university campus.
Work is almost complete on a new £4.5m M181 junction along Brumby Common Lane – a year-long project which is the first major investment in the region’s motorway network since the spur was opened in the late 1970s.
A new road layout has been developed at the junction of Station Road, Brigg Road and High Street East to improve traffic flow into the town centre and ease congestion along Brigg Road and contractors have levelling the former Glanford House and the former market site in Scunthorpe town centre to create two new development sites.
Throughout, the council’s highways team started a programme of more than 30 schemes across the area – including resurfacing work, new pedestrian crossings and new foot paths in Althorpe, Barrow, Barton-upon-Humber, Brigg, Broughton, Epworth, Hibaldstow, Killingholme, New Holland, Scunthorpe and Winteringham.
PHOTO - before the Covid-19 pandemic, Andrew inspects the condition of local roads with councillors
