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The plans for the Eastern Bypass have been on the table for quite some time. If it all goes ahead, you'll be able to drive up the A15 from Sleaford and go right around the east of the city without entering Lincoln.

The route

The road will run between the city conurbation and and villages like Cherry Willingham, Washingborough, Heighington and Branston. The council planners have called the route "Line Z", it will join the A158 at Wragby Road and head southwards.

An embankment will take it over the Lincoln to Market Rasen Railway, then again over the River Witham. The road would go under the Lincoln to Spalding Railway as it snakes around until it reaches the A15 Sleaford Road. 

Future development

Planners were originally looking at another route, "Line X", which was at it's widest point, around half a mile closer to Lincoln. This has changed, to potentially make room for up to ten thousand new homes to be built in the future.

The land to the south east of Lincoln has been identified by the Government as a potential area for growth in housing. There simply wouldn't have been enough space available to accommodate the planned road and any new housing estate.

What happens next

First of all, the route has to be approved by Lincolnshire County Council at the Executive Meeting on the 4th November. If that goes through, the scheme still needs planning permission. It's believed that this route is the best and is most likely to get the required funding from the Government. At the earliest we're not going to see any work taking place on the site until around 2012 at the earliest.