Long-awaited North West Relief Road in Northampton will restrict drivers to 30 and 40mph
Plans to restrict speeds on the long-awaited North West Relief Road (NWRR) to 30 and 40mph limits have been revealed by West Northamptonshire Council.
In a notice published on November 27, 2025, the authority said it intends to introduce the new limits under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
The proposals would see a 30mph restriction brought in on the stretch of the NWRR extending 95 metres east of the Harlestone Road/Sandy Lane roundabout, with a 40mph limit covering further sections.
Residents, businesses and road users have until December 18, 2025 to submit objections, support or general representations, quoting reference P2104.
The NWRR was completed in August but is not yet open to traffic while final measures are put in place.
Earlier this week, the Chronicle & Echo reported that dozens of speed bumps and a permanent 20mph zone have been installed over the past month as part of a package of traffic-calming measures designed to stop the village becoming a cut-through once the NWRR finally opens. Vyse Road, Howard Lane and Moulton Lane now feature nearly 20 pairs of speed cushions, alongside new road markings and vehicle-activated signs.
But opinion is divided. One resident told the Chronicle & Echo the changes have made everyday driving “a real pain”. They said: “If your car is wide enough, you can nearly, but not quite, straddle them. But if another car comes the other way, you have to slow to about 5mph to get over them without jolting the springs. Is this progress?” Another villager offered a more cautious view, saying only: “It’s early days.”
West Northamptonshire Council says the measures are essential to protect Boughton from increased traffic once the relief road opens. A report going before full council this week states officials are working to discharge final planning conditions, with the road expected to open by the end of 2025.
The works follow months of discussions between the council and Boughton Parish Council, which reached a compromise earlier this autumn: while the 20mph limit and speed cushions will stay, traffic on Moulton Lane will be monitored for 18 months. If volumes rise more than 2.1 percent above baseline, the council has agreed to reconsider a full road closure.
Despite not yet opening, the NWRR has already picked up accolades, being named East Midlands Regional Winner for Integration and Collaborative Working at the 2025 Civil Engineering Awards. Meanwhile, construction continues nearby on the 3,000-home Dallington Grange development - where the new speed limit proposals are now set to shape how the spine road operates once the relief road finally opens.