Fresh clue emerges as to when Northampton’s long-awaited £54.5 million 'North West Relief Road' might finally open

The NWRR was completed in August but remains closed in late October.

According to new information released by WNC, traffic-calming measures and road safety improvements are now being installed across the nearby village of Boughton.

The works include speed cushions on Vyse Road, Howard Lane and Moulton Lane, and a new 20mph zone with accompanying road markings throughout the village.

The roadworks will be completed in three phases 'subject to unforeseen events’, with the final phase – installing vehicle-activated speed signs – due to finish on November 24.

The measures have been introduced to stop Boughton becoming a rat run once the NWRR opens, suggesting the road could finally open once these works are complete.

In a statement, WNC said: “Traffic calming measures are being put in place in Boughton in a key step toward the opening of the Northampton North-West Relief Road.

“The measures are a required part of the planning conditions for the wider scheme, and needed to be completed ahead of the road opening to help prepare communities for the changes ahead.

“The work in Boughton is expected to complete before the end of this year, with the North-West Relief Road scheduled to open by the new year.”

It follows months of debate between WNC and Boughton Parish Council (BPC) over the scale of the measures.

In September, BPC said it had reached a compromise with WNC. A 20mph limit and speed cushions would still be installed on Moulton Lane, but traffic volumes will be electronically monitored for 18 months before any further decisions are made. If traffic levels rise more than 2.1 percent above baseline levels during that time, WNC has committed to reconsidering a full road closure.

At the time, a Boughton resident told the Chronicle & Echo: “We have won a stay of execution. The measures will be monitored over 18 months, and if traffic rises above the agreed level, the council will go back to the drawing board and reconsider a full road closure.”

The NWRR, built by Balfour Beatty for WNC, connects Harlestone Road to the A5199 Welford Road and links to the new Sandy Lane Relief Road. It is designed to ease congestion on Northampton’s western edge and support new housing developments.

Despite being closed, the road was recently named East Midlands Regional Winner in the Integration and Collaborative Working category at the 2025 Civil Engineering Awards.

Just off the NWRR, construction continues on 3,000 homes at the Dallington Grange housing estate, and plans have been approved for 100 homes to be built right next to Harlestone Firs.