Opening date finally revealed for controversially delayed 'relief' road in Northampton, as WNC breaks nine-week silence
An opening date has finally been revealed for a controversially delayed 'relief' road in Northampton, as West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) breaks nine-week silence.
The long-delayed Sandy Lane Relief Road (SLRR) will finally open to traffic on Tuesday August 12, WNC has confirmed – 10 weeks after it was supposed to and after nearly two months of silence.
In a statement on Wednesday August 6, the council said the final stretch of the road has now passed safety checks and is ready to open ‘ahead of the busy autumn season’.
Reform councillor Richard Butler, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “It’s great news that we’ve managed to get the final stage of the Sandy Lane Relief Road over the line and open to the public ahead of the busy autumn season.
“Thanks to partnership working with Homes England, Miller Homes, Vistry Homes and Kier Transportation, the road will reduce traffic and provide better connectivity, particularly to those in the Harpole and Duston area.
“As with all major projects like this, it was important that after its completion we carried out all the necessary safety audits and remedial works before opening it to the public. I’d like to thank motorists for their patience and understanding whilst the work took place and hope the new road improves their journeys. We are committed to improving local roads and will continue to move forward projects that will benefit people for years to come.”
Peter Ingram, Contracts Director at Kier, said: “Working closely with West Northamptonshire Council, we're pleased to deliver part of this important scheme which enhances connectivity across the region. This will be an important link to the North and West of the county, and we look forward to seeing how the route will improve journeys and have a positive impact across the community.”
Work on the northern section of the road – built by Miller Homes, who are building hundreds of homes in the area – started in April 2023. This was only half of the job but marked the start of more than two years of construction and traffic chaos.
That section finally opened in June 2024, after a three-month delay. It’s currently connected by a tight, temporary link to the old Sandy Lane, with a sharp 90-degree turn. Drivers say it’s difficult to use, but the council said it was the best option at the time.
Former council leader Adam Brown said: “The link is what we could deliver on a temporary basis, and it meets all relevant safety criteria. The alternative was to leave high volumes of traffic going through Harpole village for even longer, a situation nobody wanted.”
The southern section – delivered by the council and Kier – completes the route to the A4500. It was held up for years because of a narrow strip of land owned by Homes England. That issue was resolved earlier this year.
Work on the relief road started more than 15 years ago, but the southern stretch was never finished due to land and funding issues. It sat half-built and fenced off for over a decade and it became known as the “Road to Nowhere” for years.
Thousands of new homes are being built in the area, and some residents aren’t convinced the road will actually ease traffic.
One reader said: “It’s not a relief road. It’s a housing development access road.”
Another added: “Everyone knows it’s a feeder road for all the new housing developments.”
Since work restarted in April 2023, it’s taken just under two and a half years to get it all sorted.
The proposed Southern Link Road (SLRR) is planned to connect with the £54.5 million North West Relief Road, which is still on track to open before the end of the month. Persimmon Homes have been requested to provide a confirmed date for the opening of the North West Relief Road.