Major improvements to the B1518 Northgate, the gateway into Sleaford, will start next month.

Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “This project will give the B1518 Northgate in Sleaford a major overhaul from a highways perspective.

“The main part of the works will see a half-mile stretch of the B1518 fully rebuilt from its foundations up. This will mean digging up all of the existing carriageway, which is starting to crack and crumble, and replacing it with over 2,600 tonnes of road-building material.

“As part of this massive infrastructure scheme, we’ll also be giving the traffic signals outside of Tesco a major refurb, with all new equipment installed, including a brand-new overhead camera detection system to help improve traffic flows.

“We’re also taking the opportunity to fully rebuild the footways along the B1518 between Jubilee Grove and The Drove, which will include laying new tactile paving and putting in new guardrails.

“And finally, we’ll be doing some work at Galley Hill Bridge, including resurfacing parts of the footbridge and replacing all of the guardrails on the main bridge. Some of these have broken or gone rusty, so we’ll be installing brand-new, black guardrails which will look far nicer that what’s currently there.

“We’ll be doing everything we can during the works to keep disruption to a minimum, including maintaining access for residents and emergency vehicles during our working hours.”

Preliminary works

Some early works will be carried out in the coming weeks ahead of the main project starting, including vegetation strimming along Galley Hill bridge. These works will be carried out under temporary traffic signals after 9am, along with some works near Lidl to be carried in the day and night.

Dates and timeframes

Monday 22 July for up to eight weeks (subject to weather and other unexpected occurrences)

Location of works

New traffic signals – B1518 Northgate junction with Tesco

Road reconstruction – between Jubilee Grove and Church Lane

Footways – between Jubilee Grove and The Drove

Handrail replacement – Galley Hill Bridge

Phasing and traffic management

There will be three separate phases of traffic management throughout the main works:  

  • Monday 22 July for six weeks – full refurbishment for the traffic signals next to Tesco and changes to the existing layout of the crossing, including new tactile paving and footway resurfacing
  • Single lane closure and temporary traffic signals at the Tesco junction
  • Saturday 3 August for up to two weeks – reconstruction of nearly half a mile of the B1518 and the renewal / reinstatement of forty pieces of ironwork
  • Phased night-time road closure manned by gatemen
  • Monday 19 August for four weeks – footway resurfacing, paving crossings and de-cluttering the footway next to the northeast bound carriageway south of The Drove, along with some structural works, and the removal / replacement of a quarter mile of pedestrian guardrail on the Galley Hill footbridge.
  • Two-way and three-way traffic signals and footway closure as necessary

Diversion route

B1518 Lincoln Road (northwest) to Holdingham Roundabout / A17 (east) to exit at Rugby Club junction / B1517 East Road (south) / Carre Street (south) / Boston Road (west) / B1517 South Gate (north) / B1518 Northgate, and vice versa

For up-to-date information about this and other roadworks, please visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/roadworks.