Passing places on the A16 and A17 a ‘feasible’ solution to traffic flow, says South Holland and Deepings MP

Adding passing places to main roads in the area could be a ‘feasible’ way of improving traffic flow, according to an MP.

Sir John Hayes told this paper he believes there is an ‘argument’ to introduce dual carriageway sections to the A17 and A16 to help motorists overtake the many slow moving vehicles found of the county’s roads.

Being an agricultural heartland, Lincolnshire’s many single carriage A-roads often see drivers stuck behind the many HGVs, farm vehicles and even lorries carrying holiday homes and caravans, all of which play vital roles to the local economy.

While South Holland and the Deepings MP Sir John concedes dualling the entire roads is ‘never going to happen’ he hopes a compromise could be sought.

“I do think there is an argument to introduce passing places like on the A17 near Sleaford, short sections of dual carriageway that allows vehicles to pass HGVs and tractors,” he said.

“I think that’s more feasible and more of a low-cost idea.”

Sir John recently submitted a written parliamentary question asking the Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper, ‘whether his department has made an assessment of the potential economic benefits of dualling the A16 and A17’.

A response from Richard Holden, parliamentary under secretary (Department for Transport), read: “The A16 and A17 are the responsibility of local highway authorities – Lincolnshire County Council through South Holland and the Deepings, and neighbouring authorities where they run beyond the county council’s boundary.

“It is for those authorities to assess the benefits of improvements to areas of their networks, and to seek funding, if required.

“Almost £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund has been allocated to improve the A16 corridor between Boston and Spalding, improving transport links for the food growth sector.”

Sir John, however, accepts that making long stretches of the A17 and A16 dual carriageways would be too costly.

“I’ve always said it's an idea that is actually never going to happen,” he said.

“The new road (Crowland bypass) has only been there 15-20 years and nobody is going to spend millions of pounds to replace a road they’ve spent millions on.”

A recent Lincolnshire County Council newsletter hinted at hopes of one day making the A16 a dual carriageway, but in an interview with this paper, the authority’s executive councillor for Highways, Transport and IT Richard Davies, said that would not be top of his agenda.

“To build a dual carriageway is approaching £20m per mile, so let’s introduce an element of realism,” he said.

“If we had that kind of money to spend on Lincolnshire’s infrastructure I wouldn’t start by building dual carriageways.”