Construction of the third and final section of the new Grantham Southern Relief Road is set to start in April.

Cllr Richard Davies, Executive Member for Highways, said: "We're incredibly excited to break ground on the final section of the Grantham Southern Relief Road next month.

"It's taken a lot of time and effort to get to this stage, but we'll soon be one step closer to cutting congestion and improving journey times in and around Grantham.

The final phase of the relief road will link the A52 at Somerby Hill to the B1174, crossing the Witham Valley, River Witham and East Coast railway line via a new viaduct/bridge.

Cllr Davies continued: "The most challenging part of phase three will be building the new bridge, which will not only span over the East Coast Main Line, but also the River Witham.

"This tremendous piece of infrastructure, along with the remaining two roundabouts and length of road, will take two and a half years to build – meaning we expect to have the entire relief road open by the end of 2023.

"Once the whole relief road is complete, it will not only reduce congestion and improve journey times in and around Grantham, but it will also boost the local economy by opening the door to more homes, jobs opportunities and community facilities."

Work on the relief road's second phase, which will join the B1174 to the A1, is currently underway and expected to be complete later this year.

When opened, the whole Grantham Southern Relief Road will stretch for 3.5km, linking the A52 at Somerby Hill to the A1.

Pat Doody, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "Having contributed over £28m of Single Local Growth Fund grant to this strategically important scheme for Greater Lincolnshire, we're pleased that this project is entering the final phase of works.

"The Grantham Southern Relief Road will have a substantial economic impact on Grantham and the surrounding area, enabling the development of many new homes, improving accessibility to local businesses and supporting the creation of 400 new jobs."

Jamie Missenden, Regional Manager – Midlands for Galliford Try, said: "We have been working collaboratively with the project team and have developed a robust deliverable programme.

"The 'One Team" approach has formed well and is currently focused on commencing the next phase of work as planned. We are looking forward to the challenge and extremely happy to be continuing our engagement with Lincolnshire County Council."

South Kesteven District Council Leader Councillor Kelham Cooke said: "This is a key milestone in the project and we're pleased and proud to see work progressing at such a pace on a major road that will undoubtedly make a huge difference to our local infrastructure.

"The final phases are not without their challenges but we know this will ultimately improve the appeal of Grantham as an attractive destination for visitors and business.

"We can now look forward to the opening of the entire stretch which will support other key initiatives such as the Future High Street bid and help realise SKDC's vision to make the district and Grantham a place to live, work and visit."

The Grantham Southern Relief Road project is being led by Lincolnshire County Council and supported by South Kesteven District Council, Greater Lincolnshire LEP, Highways England, Department for Transport, Network Rail, Homes England and local businesses.

For the latest news on the Grantham Southern Relief Road, visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/majorprojects.