Year when Grantham Relief Road expected to fully open set as works start to move bridge into place
The council announced last year that the project was delayed due to the bridge needing to be redesigned
Works have begun to move the bridge into place(Image: Lincolnshire County Council)
The Grantham Southern Relief Road could fully open in around two years from now as works to push the bridge into place begin.
Lincolnshire County Council has confirmed that works have begun to place the new 293m bridge, which means the 3.5km relief road could fully reopen in 2028.
Most of the relief road has already been built and the bridge has been the next major step in the project, with the council announcing in February 2025 that the road was delayed due to the bridge needing to be redesigned.
This bridge weighs approximately 2,500 tonnes and was manufactured by Briton Fabricators, in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.
The road has been under construction since 2015 and once complete it aims to reduce congestion in the area by moving the A52 out of Grantham.
Councillor David East, executive member for highways, said: “I’m very glad to announce that we’ve officially started pushing the new Grantham Southern Relief Road bridge into place.
“This is a huge milestone for the project, since it means we’re now approximately two years away from fully opening the new road.
“Ninety percent of the relief road is already built, and this bridge is the missing link. Getting it into place over the rail line is a very complex operation that requires absolute precision, which is why detailed plans are essential.”
He added: “To safely and efficiently get the new bridge where it needs to be, the team is moving it into place from the west side, over the river and rail line and under the power lines.
“They’re doing this by pushing it, while it is sat on temporary supports, onto its new, permanent supports.
“This won’t be a quick job by any means – in fact, the bridge is only moving a few millimetres a minute.”
Councillor East continued: “This is because, as it’s being pushed, the team needs to ensure it stays on the correct trajectory and is perfectly aligned.
“Once it’s crossed the rail line, the rest of the bridge will be built on the east side of site.
“This will include lifting new steel beams for the bridge into place before concreting the decks, installing the safety barriers, laying road surfacing and carrying out embankment works on the western lead-up to the bridge.”
