‘A long time coming’: Work starts on town bypass

Work to build a £45m relief road in Howden has started following a ground-breaking ceremony.

It will connect the A614 Thorpe Road with Station Road.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council said the scheme was designed to help residents and businesses by improving “traffic flow” and reducing congestion in the town centre.

Speaking at the ceremony on Thursday, council leader Anne Handley said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. It’s been a long-time coming and it’s another huge investment into the East Riding.”

The road, planned for farmland to the north-east of the town, will include four roundabouts.

Plans were approved in June 2023 as part of a scheme to build 1,900 homes, a school and a pub – a development being led by JG Hatcliffe Associates.

At the time, some residents welcomed the prospect of more housing and opportunities for local businesses, though others said they were worried it could change the character of the small market town.

Handley said the road would “finally” deal with traffic congestion in the town centre.

“It needs to happen – Howden’s becoming bigger and bigger and we have all this land and can put these houses on here.”

No houses would be built until the relief road was in place, she added.

The contract for the main works was awarded in June and is scheduled to take just over two years to complete.

Construction will start on the Thorpe Road side of the site and move west towards Station Road.

Aureos Highways, the Sheffield-based contractor, said work around Thorpe Road would include a new pump station to improve drainage of surface water to the south of the site.

The project is being paid for through developer contributions and council funding via Invest East Yorkshire, including £2m from a devolution fund and a £1m Local Transport Grant.