Buckinghamshire Council has said it will start work shortly on the second phase of a £113m link road, despite not having all the funding in place.
The South East Aylesbury Link Road (SEALR) scheme comprises 1.1 miles of dual carriageway, including three new roundabout junctions, and will join the A413 Wendover Road with the Stoke Mandeville Relief Road, which is being constructed by HS2.
The highway authority says it will provide an easier route for traffic to flow without going through Aylesbury town centre and that it is taking a phased approach to works, linked to funding.
Phase 1 of the scheme will link the A413 Wendover Road to the B4443 Lower Road. Work began in December to deliver roundabouts on both roads.
Phase 2, which is scheduled to start in March, will connect the B4443 Lower Road to a new roundabout junction with both the Stoke Mandeville Relief Road and future South West Aylesbury Link Road.
Council leader Martin Tett said: ‘It’s great news that we’ve been able to approve the delivery of Phase 2. The scheme is a crucial project that will unlock housing delivery in Aylesbury by accommodating for increased traffic in the future.’
The two phases have similar funding sources. Phase 1 funding includes HS2 Ltd; Local Growth Fund via the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and the Department for Transport; Homes England; and Section 106 contributions.
Phase 2 is funded by HS2 Ltd; Section 106 contributions; Buckinghamshire Council and Homes England.
According to a December 2022 cabinet report, the current approved budget for delivering both phases is £112.8m.
The council says securing funding ‘has taken longer than anticipated’ but it continues to be involved in discussions with central government regarding the full financing of the project and ‘recently had the good news that a substantial portion of the funding is agreed, and we are awaiting the paperwork’.
A spokesperson told Highways: ‘We are awaiting a final governed cost from the contractor for the remainder of Phase 1 which will allow us to update the business case to the DfT.’
Further decisions on the budget for the link road are due to be taken by the council's cabinet next month.
It was revealed this week that the council brought in £1.4m from parking fines last year, a 50% increase compared to 2022.
Steven Broadbent, cabinet member for transport, said any surplus funds from fines are ring-fenced for transport and environment initiatives.
