Controversial Northampton ‘relief' road still closed, marking one-month delay and counting

The Sandy Lane Relief Road (SLRR), joining New Sandy Lane in Duston and the A4500 near Harpole, is still not fully opened.

The last update to the Chronicle & Echo from WNC was on May 27 when Reform UK councillor Richard Butler, WNC's Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport said: "The much-anticipated SLRR is nearing completion. Final works are underway to this vital road that will ease congestion in the area and it is on track to be completed at the end of May.”

He added: “As with all infrastructure projects, quality and safety inspections will then be carried out ahead of the road opening to motorists. We will be providing an update to residents on an opening date in the coming weeks."

A month later and WNC has not provided the Chronicle & Echo with any update on the opening of the road despite repeated requests for comment.

The SLRR consists of two parts:

• The northern section, built by developers Miller Homes, runs south from Berrywood Road and continues towards the A4500.

• The southern section, known as ‘the road to nowhere’, runs north from the A4500 opposite Upton Valley Way North, which has been left incomplete since 2010 due to land disputes with its owner, Homes England.

• The northern section originally closed on June 12, 2023, with plans to reopen by March 31, 2024. However, it didn’t open until June 28, 2024 – three months later than planned – due to ‘unauthorised’ works.

• The southern section remains closed, so a temporary link was put in place, which is still being used today.

In September 2024, former WNC leader Conservative councillor Adam Brown said he hoped the southern section – known as the “road to nowhere” – would be finished by the end of 2024. That target was missed.

In early 2025, Cllr Brown announced that, following negotiations with Homes England, work to complete the southern section had started in February and was now expected to be finished by spring 2025, later confirming that should be by the end of May.

The SLRR will eventually join the £54.5 million North West Relief Road, a new route linking the Harlestone Road (A428) and Welford Road (A5199) to help ease traffic, which is due to be open in August.

Despite the council and the developers description of the project, some residents have questioned whether the road will provide relief.

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.”

“If it was a relief road, why isn’t it a dual carriageway?” said another.

One resident commented: “They’ve replaced a road that passed about 15 houses with a road that will pass hundreds – well done, massive relief.”