Council slammed for £50million ‘bridge to nowhere' as officials admit they ‘can't afford to finish half-built road'

The Sun

6 days ago

A COUNCIL has been slammed for building a "bridge to nowhere" that may never be finished.
The £50 million bridge was part of a project started by Lincolnshire County Council in 2022 to ease traffic on the A16.
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On Monday, May 2, officials admitted the project - known as the Spalding western relief road - might not be completed.
It comes as the council are seeking up to £33 million in "external funding" in the hopes of finishing the development.
They cited "turbulent" years for the shortage of cash, including rising costs during the pandemic, inflation, and problems caused by the national economy.
This led the council to scrap nearly £28 million in funding in 2023 for their road projects.
As a result, the relief road has been left with a "road to nowhere bridge."
Residents and campaigners have been left frustrated by the lack of progress on the project.
They have criticised it as a waste of taxpayer money, as aerial photos showed that the ongoing work had suddenly stopped.
In a YouTube video about the project, Jon Jefferson who runs Auto Shenanigans, was critical of the "road to nowhere bridge."
Commenters on the video shared their own frustrations with similarly unfinished projects across the UK.
One wrote: "We have an unfinished roundabout with NO finish date for when it will ever open. Total p*** take of the tax-payers."
Another sarcastically commented: "Awesome. A road with no traffic and rail lines with no trains."
Others expressed their disappointment at the state of British infrastructure, writing: "It's got to the point I'll be dizzy with astonishment and suspicion when a road project success story comes along."
Construction of the north section of the four-mile-long, five-section road was completed in October 2024 - including the bridge.
This 0.6 mile stretch of road, was complete with a T-junction for later extension, and a bridge over a railway between Doncaster and Peterborough.
The council's highways department told The Times: "Construction of the north section of the Spalding western relief road was completed in October 2024.
According to the department, £27.7 million has been set aside for the southern section of the road in the upcoming 2025-26 budget.
This is still much lower than the estimated cost of £50 to £60 million, leaving developers trying to find other sources of funding to make up the shortfall.
They said: "The current estimated cost of building this section is between £50 and £60 million, which means external funding will be needed."
The council said they are working closely with South Holland district council to "identify funding opportunities, including remaining in touch with Homes England."
They added: "In addition, no funding has yet been allocated or secured for the middle sections of the relief road as these are intended to be built in the long term."
According to the project description, "the primary source of funding for both [southern and middle roads]" is likely to come in the form of contributions from developers.
Their ongoing plans are outlined in the South East Lincolnshire Local Plan.
Project bosses have estimated that the project will now take until 2030, with the financial issues causing significant setbacks.
The completed northern section of the road has freed up land that could be used for 1,100 properties.
Parts of the project remain fenced off.