Claim £50m 'bridge to nowhere' not a waste of cash
BBCA £50m "bridge to nowhere" is not a waste of taxpayers' money, insists the council group that backed the original idea.
The bridge, outside Spalding in Lincolnshire, was completed in 2024 and was meant to be a relief road easing congestion on the western side of the town, but its other sections have not been built and are still awaiting government funding.
The Conservative group, which lost control of the county council to Reform UK in May, insisted the bridge was part of plans to build and access new houses in the area.
Councillor Rob Gibson, recently appointed deputy leader of the authority, said leaving a road half-built was "not acceptable".
Work started on what has been dubbed by media and politicians as the "bridge to nowhere" in 2022 and, along with the northern section of the £110m relief road, was completed two years later.
However, funding for the middle and southern sections of the road has not been secured.
In June 2023, it was announced work on the relief road had been delayed until 2030 due to a "turbulent three years marked by increased costs due to Covid, rising inflation rates and the current economic climate".
The Conservatives claim they have been unfairly criticised for originally managing the project, and still believe the bridge will eventually be linked up.
Councillor Richard Davies, who was the council's transport portfolio holder before Reform UK won last month's local election, said: "Our plan was always to do it in sections and take advantage of funding when it became available.
"The local councils were all involved (in the decision), some of whom are now senior in the Reform leadership.
"There is money to complete this and I think it will come."
Having criticised the previous Conservative administration's failure to complete the relief road, the new Reform UK-led county council is promising to move the scheme forward.
Gibson added: "One of the first things we're doing is looking at all of the county's road projects with a fresh set of eyes.
"Leaving a road half-built isn't acceptable and waiting years and years to finish a project as important as the Spalding Western Relief Road is frustrating and unfair to local people."
Spalding is also at the heart of the UK's food and flower industry, and there has been pressure from businesses to improve road infrastructure around the south of the county in order to connect it to the A1.
Currently, there are no firm commitments to do that but the newly elected county council is promising to work with new mayor Andrea Jenkyns to see "what the future could be".
Dame Andrea said: "Lincolnshire has been ignored by government for too long when it comes to funding the infrastructure our residents and businesses want and need.
"Routes around the south of the county are strategically important, particularly for our food and farming sector.
"I'll be using my role as mayor to make sure the roads and other projects we need get the national recognition and funding they deserve."
Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.