Mile-long row of speed bumps and new 20mph limit installed in wealthy Northampton village as £54.5 million 'relief road' moves closer to opening

Dozens of speed bumps have now been installed along a mile-long road running through a wealthy village on the edge of Northampton – and a 20-mile-per-hour limit is in place too.

Over the past month, West Northamptonshire Council has been installing traffic calming measures in the village of Boughton.

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

The measures have been introduced to prevent Boughton from becoming a rat run once the £54.5 million North West Relief Road (NWRR) opens.

The works were supposed to have been completely finished on Monday (November 24). WNC has not yet confirmed if this is the case.

The NWRR was completed in August but remains closed while these works are carried out.

In a report by WNC to go before full council on Thursday night, a spokesman said the road will be opened by the end of the year. The report states: “We are progressing the discharge of all remaining planning conditions prior to the opening of the road by the end of 2025.”

Residents in Boughton have spoken out about the measures. One said: “Vyse Road, Howard Lane, and Moulton Lane now have nearly 20 pairs of speed cushions installed. All the roads have been painted with huge ‘20’ signs, and roadside 20mph signs are due to go up in the next week or two.

“The new Link Road has not yet been opened at the Windhover roundabout. The speed cushions are a real pain for everyone. If your car is wide enough, you can nearly, but not quite, straddle them.

“But if you meet another car coming the other way at the same time, you have to brake to about 5mph for your offside wheels to go over them without jolting the springs. Is this progress?”

Another resident simply said: “It’s early days.”

The works follow 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 during that time, WNC has committed to reconsidering 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.