Major highways projects
Major road projects in West Northamptonshire.
This work is being delivered as part of the Active Travel Fund.
You can view the updates to Phase 1 of the scheme in the document below.
Description of the scheme
High Speed Two (HS2) is a high speed railway which will connect major cities in Britain. A dedicated high speed rail service between London and the West Midlands is expected to open between 2029 and 2033.
The A361 is the approved route for construction traffic to access one of the main construction sites in Northamptonshire. It is located just to the north of Chipping Warden on the former airfield.
Stage one of the Relief Road extends from the A361 just north of Hogg End to a point north of Long Barrow. It was opened to traffic in June 2021, ahead of the main construction compound being fully operational.
Stage two will see the connection to the A361 altered to suit the permanent road layout. This will commence once HS2 Ltd have built the cut and cover tunnel for the new railway.
The approved plans for the Relief Road can be viewed on the Chipping Warden Parish Council website.
Benefits of the scheme
The Relief Road removes the need for traffic to travel via the village centre. This will reduce the number of vehicles in the centre of Chipping Warden, improve air quality, noise levels and road safety.
The Relief Road is a permanent feature so the village will continue to benefit once High Speed Two is completed.
Scheme cost and how it will be funded
High Speed Two Limited contractors designed and built the Relief Road. We made a £2 million contribution towards the cost of the scheme.
Public consultation
We undertook public consultation on possible routes in summer 2014. Strong support for a relief road to the west of Chipping Warden was received. High Speed Two Limited undertook public consultation as part of Additional Provision 2 in July 2015.
Further information
Further information on the High Speed Two project through Northamptonshire is available on the HS2 website.
The opportunity of delivering a bypass around Farthinghoe has been studied over many years with significant investment provided in developing a business case for funding. That business case shows the economic case for such a scheme is low and therefore funding from government for such a scheme is highly unlikely.
As a Council we have always acknowledged that as well as the number of vehicles going through the village, the pinch point where large vehicles have collided on a number of occasions does need to be resolved.
Work is continuing which will identify a preferred option for a mitigation scheme, and depending on what this is, it's expected costs and funding sources will determine whether it is deliverable by 2030.
This page will be updated as the scheme progresses.
Improvements to the Round Spinney roundabout (phase 1a) were completed in 2015. These resulted in increased capacity at this junction and improved traffic flow.
Phase 2 was a dualling of the section north of the Moulton roundabout to a new junction near Overstone Grange. This was opened to traffic in early 2018.
Phase 1b was fully opened for traffic in June 2020. This provided a new road between the Round Spinney and Moulton roundabouts bypassing the existing road.
Phase 3 is intended to extend the dualling to the Holcot and Sywell roundabout. A bid for Government funding towards this phase was submitted in 2016 but was not successful.
A bid for Major Road Network funding to construct this section was submitted in August 2019. We are now developing a Strategic Outline Business Case to support this submission.
A bid for Major Road Network funding to construct this section was submitted in August 2019 and a Strategic Outline Business Case has been submitted to support this. As at the start of 2025 we are still awaiting a decision on this from the Department for Transport, which will enable further work on the scheme design and business case to proceed.
Public consultation
Consultation and examination hearings for the West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy highlighted the view of the local community. Improvements to the A43, among other measures, are necessary to support the proposed development at Northampton North.
Scheme cost and funding
Phase 2 was constructed within its budget of £9.25m. It was comprised of:
- £6.5m of government funding secured through the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) and
- £2.75m of Section 106 funding from the Overstone Leys development
Phase 1b was constructed within its budget of £17.5m. This included:
- £7.9m of government funding through the SEMLEP Local Growth Deal, and
- £4.1m of Section 106 funding
Phase 3 will cost in excess of £23m.
This section will be updated as the scheme progresses.
The NGMS is a joint project between us and National Highways.
We are project managing the scheme and funding on behalf of all the project partners. In total, seven junctions will be improved:
- M1 Junction 15
- A45 Wootton Interchange
- A45 Queen Eleanor Interchange
- A45 Brackmills Interchange
- A45 Barnes Meadow Interchange
- A45 Lumbertubs interchange
- A45 Great Billing interchange
Since the Cabinet’s decision in 2019, design activities have progressed for the future improvements on the A45 Northampton Growth Management Scheme (NGMS). A phased delivery has been considered in partnership with National Highways.
The first scheme to be delivered will focus on A45 Queen Eleanor interchange.
The remaining junctions will be improved as funding becomes available.
Scheme details
The Queen Eleanor Interchange Improvement Scheme starts on 31 March 2025.
West Northamptonshire’s Highways partner Kier Transportation will be starting the works on 31 March 2025. The Queen Eleanor junction is a busy roundabout that joins the A45 trunk road with the A508 London Road, B526 Newport Pagnell Road and Hardingstone Lane.
As traffic has increased over the years, the junction has struggled to keep up, and improvements are needed to make it more efficient.
Scope
The entire interchange will comprise a consistent 3-lane capacity and require widening at the following locations:
- the existing bridge structures over the A45
- an 80 metre section of the London Road approach
- the junction circulatory including the existing northern over-bridge
- Newport Pagnell Road approach over a 100 metre-section
- slight realignment of Newport Pagnell Road exit from the circulatory
The works above the northern bridge deck will include the repairs of concrete joints and waterproofing. These improvements will necessitate some deep drainage connections on the Western and Eastern sides of the junction.
All street lighting will be changed to ensure all lighting columns are energy efficient.
Following new kerbing, new surfacing will be laid on the entire Interchange and new road markings and signs will be added.
The replacement of a short section of safety barrier on the North-eastern end of London Road will also be required.
The existing traffic signals will also be upgraded with an automated detection MOVA system.
You can view both the Schematics and General Arrangement below.
Benefits
National Highways granted Technical Approval to develop a scheme to improve capacity and reduce congestion in the area. These improvements will benefit the residents and motorists for now and the future.
Delivery phases
The outline programme of the Works includes the following key phases activities in 2025 that are subject to weather conditions and unforeseen events:
- April to May: site setting-up, environmental and structural surveys, site clearance
- June to July: structural works, utility diversions including deep drainage
- August to September: waterproofing, kerbing, and electrical connections
- October to November: installed equipment and surfacing
Traffic management
Temporary traffic management will be in place 24/7 from Monday 31 March. This is to ensure that carriageway widening, new traffic signs and signals, drainage works, and resurfacing are carried out in a safe and timely manner to protect the workforce and all users.
Subject to weather conditions and unforeseen events, we anticipate these works to be complete by Christmas 2025.
There will be lane closures on the Queen Eleanor roundabout, as well as on the road heading into Wootton Hall Park, with a full closure on the dedicated left-hand turn. A one-way system will be in place to minimise the impacts and motorist are advised to follow the signage.
Delays are likely and we appreciate your patience throughout this works. Wootton Park School will still be fully accessible during this time.
Full roundabout closures will be necessary at times which will mainly occur at nighttime whilst it is less busy. Dates will be communicated prior to any closure across our media channels. A full closure will be in place on the cul-de-sac on London Road.
We are engaging with the local residents and businesses that may be impacted by the scheme works. Access will be maintained at all times to properties and for emergency services, and during full closures, diversion routes will be in place.
What happens next
Further details of the programme will be shared with local residents and businesses as they become available.
Live updates will be available via the QR that is available via our Factsheet.
Northamptonshire County Council consulted in 2017 on a new road linking the A5199 and Northampton North West Relief Road between Kingsthorpe and Chapel Brampton with the A43 north of Moulton. The scheme was expected to be funded by a combination of government and developer funding.
The case for and nature of any Northern Orbital Highway infrastructure will in part be dependent on the scale and location of development located in the new Local Plan. At the present time the need, nature and deliverability of the scheme is not sufficiently well defined and further study is required. This further study will include the evidence base for the new Local Plan which will benefit from the Council’s new Strategic Traffic Model.
This page will be updated as the scheme progresses.
Description of scheme
The Northampton North-West Relief Road will link the A428 Harlestone Road with the A5199 Welford Road. The section from the A428 to south of the railway line will be constructed by the developers of Dallington Grange.
The first part of this section has already been constructed as part of the Harlestone Manor development. We will be responsible for building the section of road across the railway line connecting the developer's road to the A5199 Welford Road.
Benefits of the scheme
The Northampton North-West Relief Road will reduce congestion in the North-West of Northampton. It will be providing a new crossing of the river valley.
The new road will also improve access to the motorway and other strategic roads. These include Moulton Park, Round Spinney and Lodge Farm Industrial Estates.
How the scheme will be funded
The road will be funded by a combination of central government, local government and developer funding. Government funding of £7.93m has been allocated from the SEMLEP Local Growth Deal.
West Northamptonshire Council have committed up to £4.2m towards the scheme. Developers’ contributions of at least £15m have been identified towards the scheme.
Current Scheme Status
Work has now officially commenced on the relief road, with work due for completion in Summer 2024.
You can view the latest NWRR newsletters detailing updates below:
Upcoming road closures – summary
- Sandy Lane – 4 March until 8 April 2024
- Welford Road – 10 April until 28 June 2024
For full details of the road closures please visit our Roadworks page.
Scheme Background
Full business case
A detailed business case for the Government funding was developed in accordance with the Department for Transport's guidance on transport business cases. A revised business case was submitted to SEMLEP in April 2021. SEMLEP have confirmed their continued support for the project.
Planning
A detailed planning application for the section of the road we will build was submitted to our planning team. Planning consent was granted on 22 September 2020. All details relevant to planning are available upon request by emailing [email protected].
You can visit the planning applications page relating to the 19/00045/CCDFUL North-West Relief Road.
Information events
The information boards from the public information events are available upon request by emailing [email protected].
Compulsory Purchase Order
The Compulsory Purchase Order has been submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport. The order has authorised us to purchase land and rights required for constructing the relief road.
The following documents and reports are available by emailing us at [email protected]:
• Appendix 5.4 EIA scoping response
• Biodiversity net gain assessments
• Construction environmental management plan (CEMP)
• Engineering proof of evidence of the acquiring authority
• Engineering proof of evidence of the acquiring authority summary
• Environmental impact assessment scoping report
• Environmental proof of evidence of the acquiring authority
• Environmental proof of evidence of the acquiring authority summary
• Environmental statement volume 1: Non-technical summary
• Figure 6.3: Landscape mitigation and preliminary design
• Figure 11.6: Landscape mitigation design
• Land and property proof of evidence of the acquiring authority
• Land and property proof of evidence of the acquiring authority summary
• Landscape and ecological management plan
• Policy fit proof of evidence of the acquiring authority
• Policy fit proof of evidence of the acquiring authority summary
• Request for environmental impact assessment (EIA) scoping option
• Screening opinion
• Screening response
• Transport proof of evidence of the acquiring authority
• Transport proof of evidence of the acquiring authority summary
See government guidance on the Compulsory Purchase process and compensation.
Last updated 21 March 2025