A £450m investment into the A46 Newark by-pass has been approved

A £450m investment to upgrade the A46 Newark by-pass campaign has been approved by Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajjid Javid.

Newark MP Robert Jenrick and The Advertiser have campaigned for a long time to dual the A46, and today it has been announced that the campaign has been approved.

Mr Jenrick said: "Today the Chancellor, Sajid Javid, has supported my five-year campaign to dual the A46 from Farndon to Winthorpe and fix the roundabouts at Cattle Market and Winthorpe.

"The £450m+ investment is now guaranteed and work on planning will commence immediately.

"This is the biggest investment in the town and area for a generation and will finally end the gridlock.

"Thank you to everyone who has supported me in our quest."

Midlands Connect director Maria Machancoses said: “Making sure the Newark Bypass is completed is a top priority for Midlands Connect to support businesses and commuters who experience regular congestion on the A46, and facilitate major housing and employment development in the town.

“The A46 is one of the country’s most important trade routes, especially the strategic freight route between the East Midlands and the Humber Ports. Newark has become a major bottleneck, holding back logistics firms that rely on the A46, and major manufacturers located along the corridor.

“We have spoken to hundreds of businesses, large and small, based along the A46 corridor, who have told us how important improvements are to the growth of their firms and how congestion, especially around Newark, is one of the biggest barriers to growth. Today’s announcement will be a massive boost to their future plans to create more jobs in the East Midlands.

“Securing this funding is the result of several years of passionate campaigning from our partnership, including Transport for the East Midlands and Nottinghamshire County Council, as well as the town’s MP Robert Jenrick. We will continue to work with these partners, and the Department for Transport, to ensure that the bypass is prioritised for completion by 2025.”

More to follow...