Major milestone reached for multi-million-pound Isham bypass scheme
Roadworks, major projects, plans and strategies09 December 2024
Building a dual carriageway bypass for the North Northamptonshire village of Isham has taken an important step closer.
North Northamptonshire Council has now submitted an Outline Business Case (OBC) to the Department for Transport.
Submitting an OBC is a routine stage for a major highways scheme and is done so the Government can check the project is still financially viable.
The submission also seeks funding of £4.346m which will be matched by £2.172m from the Council to give a total of £6.518m to get the scheme to the stage where it is ready to start construction.
This covers the detailed scheme design, progressing land purchase negotiations and compulsory purchase procedures as well as seeking tenders to build the road.
Late last year, the previous Government announced that it would fully fund the build costs of the 3.75km road, which will not only alleviate congestion in Isham but also help unlock economic growth in the area.
The next stage would be to submit a Full Business Case to Government for the £116 million required to build the road.
Subject to planning permission - expected to go to committee early in 2025 - construction is currently programmed to start in April 2027 with the scheme opening in March 2029.
The Isham Bypass forms the first part of a strategy to dual the whole A509 between the A14 south of Kettering and the A45 at Wellingborough.
Submitting an Outline Business Case is an important milestone to reach for this project and I’m delighted to announce that we’ve made our submission to Government.Cllr Matt Binley the Council’s Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Assets
This scheme has been wanted by local residents for a very long time and we’re determined to make this a reality for them.
The project has so many benefits not just for the local residents but more widely in unlocking the potential for growth and the associated economic spin offs from that.
In my previous role as lead Member for Highways at the former county council, this was a key project for me and one I was determined to move forward.Jason Smithers Leader of the Council
I’m thrilled to see it reach this stage - this project is one of our major priorities as a council and I’m determined that we see it through to completion.