Here's how you can question project team behind Northampton's North-West Relief Road

The Northamptonshire County Council project will link A428 Harlestone Road with the A5199 Welford Road and serve the housing growth proposed west and north of the town.

The scheme also aims to address congestion in parts of the town and reducing rat-runs on local roads. The county council will be responsible for building the section of road across the railway line and across the Nene floodplain connecting the developer's road to the A5199 Welford Road.

Cllr Ian Morris, county council cabinet member for transport, highways and environment, said: “This route is enormously important not just for Northampton but for the county as a whole as it will help unlock housing and economic growth.

“With the county and Northampton in particular continuing to grow rapidly it is important to get the infrastructure in place.

“Further to that, parts of Northampton are already very congested with existing traffic levels and this road will alleviate a great deal of pressure there.”

Following the public consultation in 2017 and cabinet approval of a preferred route in October 2018, the scheme is currently being progressed as a single carriageway with design features that may allow it to be converted to dual carriageway more easily at a later date.

Current progress includes geotechnical, archaeological and environmental investigations, with preliminary design nearing completion.

A draft business case has recently been submitted to part funder SEMLEP, and the final business case will be submitted in September.

The information events give people a chance to see how plans for the scheme have developed and ask questions of the project team before the scheme planning application is submitted at the end of May. There will be an opportunity for people to view and comment on the planning application once it is submitted. The detailed design will be progressed over the next year and construction is expected to start in Spring 2020, with an anticipated two-year construction period.

The pre-planning public information event dates and locations:

Duston Community Centre, Pendle Road, Duston NN5 6DT – Tuesday, May 14, 2019 - 8.30am - 8.00pm

The Pastures Community Centre, Welford Road, Kingsthorpe NN2 8PN – Saturday, May 18, 2019 - 8.30am - 8.00pm