New Buckinghamshire link road to cost £147 million
Additional money is to be spent on the South East Aylesbury Link Road
Plans for a new mile-long dual carriageway in Aylesbury are set to cost millions to build.
Buckinghamshire Council members have agreed to spend an additional £33 million on the South East Aylesbury Link Road (SEALR), bringing the cost to a grand total of £147 million.
Being built in stages, the road is set to open at the end of 2026 - with the second phase to be completed by December 2024.
This is on top of the previous budget of £114 million for the road, which is set to open by the end of 2026.
As well as increasing the SEALR budget, cabinet members also approved reducing the budget for the Woodlands development east of Aylesbury and the Eastern Link Road South.
The previous budget for the road was £114 million, however delays from the Covid-19 pandemic and inflation in the construction industry have been given as reasons for rising costs.
Ground conditions of the site also need to be improved, the council said in an update on the road on Monday.
The SEALR will join the A413 Wendover Road with the B4443 Lower Road and the Stoke Mandeville Relief Road – currently under construction by HS2.
The 1.1 mile (1.7 kilometre) dual carriageway will be connected by three roundabouts to form a key part of the Aylesbury Orbital Link Road.
Funding for SEALR comes from several sources, including the council, HS2, the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Department for Transport, Homes England and section 106 contributions.
Some costs that were in the first phase of SEALR have also been reallocated into the second phase of the project.