Northampton 'road to nowhere' finally opens
The highly anticipated Sandy Lane relief road, nicknamed "the road to nowhere", has finally opened for drivers after years of uncertainty.
A highly anticipated road in Northampton, nicknamed “the road to nowhere”, has finally opened today, Tuesday August 12, for drivers after years of uncertainty.
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), which led the project alongside its highways partner Kier, said the final stretch of the Sandy Lane Relief Road (SLLR) will ease congestion and improve connectivity across the town.
The road, which connects to the A4500 junction, was designed to provide better relief from traffic to local communities to the north and west of Northampton, including Duston and Harpole, amid new development in the area.
Speaking at an official opening event, Cllr Richard Butler, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport said: “I’m very pleased that the road has opened and it will benefit both ends of Northampton, particularly the people from Harpole and Duston.
“It’s very impressive, it’s very well done, well-maintained, very well signed and an asset to the town.”
Construction on the relief road began more than a decade ago, but was abandoned due to land and funding issues. Work resumed last year, with the previous administration stating the project was “on track” to open in spring 2025.
When asked about the timeline for the project, Cllr Butler said: “It’s a long-awaited road opening- it’s not delayed. I think when you construct a road like this that’s joining up other roads there’s a lot more to it than just digging out and starting again.
“The laying of the road bed isn’t the finishing of the road. It has to have safety checks, it has to be checked out to make sure it fits the standard and that everybody is happy that it does the job and we get what we paid for.”
WNC previously announced that final construction works on the relief road would be completed in May this year. The Highways cabinet member explained that Kier has been conducting essential technical works and quality and safety inspections over the summer months before its official opening.
Leader of WNC, Mark Arnull, said: “I’m delighted. It’s great to connect two communities back together again. It’s been a long time coming, we’ve seen the ‘road to nowhere’ here for ten years and to finally open it is a privilege.
“I’m very pleased with it, it’s very high quality and hopefully our motorists look forward to using it very soon.
“We thank the residents of Harpole for putting up with a little bit more than they’re used to. It should now reduce that traffic and give them a proper way to go.”