Part of Northampton's Sandy Lane Relief Road to open this month

Kris Holland & Martin Heath - BBC News, Northampton
·1 min read
Sandy Lane roadworks
Part of the Sandy Lane Relief Road was due to be completed by 31 March [Kris Holland/BBC]

The opening of a new section of road in Northampton is still anticipated this month despite construction overrunning.

Part of the Sandy Lane Relief Road to accommodate new housing was due to open on 1 April, but work is still ongoing.

The work has seen the existing Sandy Lane shut since June, with diversions through Harpole and Duston.

West Northamptonshire Council said safety concerns had delayed the opening of a temporary link until a permanent one is established this summer.

Thousands of new homes are currently being constructed on land surrounding the one mile (1.6km) length of Sandy Lane.

Work began on a new relief road, connecting the Kislingbury roundabout on the A4500 to the junction of Berrywood Road and Roman Road, more than 15 years ago.

However, construction was halted and the half-built section became known as the "road to nowhere".

The council said it was "continuing to work with the developer as we would like to see the road open as quickly as possible".

Northampton's "road to nowhere"
The so-called "road to nowhere" was abandoned for years, but is due to be completed [Philip Jeffrey/Geograph]

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