A whopping £50 million has already been spent on a bridge in Spalding, Lincolnshire, yet the project won’t be finished until at least 2030. Completed last year, the bridge currently leads nowhere, as the road abruptly ends shortly after the now-completed bridge. This structure is part of the larger £110 million Spalding Western Relief Road, designed to relieve traffic congestion along the A16.
Yesterday, on Monday, May 2, Lincolnshire County Council revealed that around £33 million is still needed to complete the remaining sections of the nearly four-mile relief road. Although the council has earmarked £27.7 million in its 2025-26 budget for the southern stretch, this falls short of the estimated £50 million to 60 million required to finish the works.
Officials have acknowledged that external funding must be secured to progress and that the project won’t be finished until 2030 at least.
The council has attributed some of the financial shortfalls to difficult economic conditions over the past few years, including pandemic-related cost increases as well as inflation.
Construction of the north section of the Spalding Western Relief Road began in 2022 and plans to better connect Peterborough, Boston and Grimsby.
A spokesman for the council’s highways department, said: “Construction of the north section of the Spalding Western Relief Road was completed in October 2024.
“In the approved 2025-26 council budget, there is currently £27.7 million earmarked towards building the southern section of the road in the future.
“However, the current estimated cost of building this section is between £50-60 million, which means external funding will be needed.
“That is why we are continuing to work closely with South Holland district council to identify funding opportunities, including remaining in touch with Homes England.
“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.”