Contractor appointed for West Winch Housing Access Road

Another significant milestone in the delivery of Norfolk County Council's West Winch Housing Access Road project has been reached, with Costain appointed to complete the detailed design and then build the new route south of King's Lynn.

The scheme will create a new 1.5-mile road between the A47 and existing A10, helping to reduce congestion, remove heavy traffic from West Winch village and unlock the delivery of up to 4,000 new homes in the area. Once opened, the new road will become part of the A10.

As part of the project, the contractor will deliver a new cycle path alongside the housing access road, dual just under one mile of the A47 and make changes to the Hardwick Junction, to ensure it can cope with the additional journeys the new housing will create.

Grahame Bygrave, Lead Director - Infrastructure at Norfolk County Council, said: "Congratulations to Costain for being awarded the design and build contract for the project, it's great to have them on board. Our project team will work closely with them to continue to move this project forward and progress to the start of construction as soon as possible."

Costain is experienced in delivering critical road, water and energy infrastructure across the East of England. This includes Costain's position as part of the Eastern Highways Alliance Framework, delivering road upgrades across 11 local authority areas in the region.

Andy Denman, Roads Sector Director at Costain, commented: "This award is built on our long-established highways delivery expertise and our proven track record in delivering best-in-class, value-for-money services for local authorities across the UK.

 "The West Winch Housing Access Road is an exciting project that will significantly improve people's lives and help support the local economy. We're looking forward to bringing constructability to the heart of the design to minimise risk and maximise efficiency, working closely with our supply chain partners to deliver this new road safely and efficiently." 

The housing access road project is being delivered by Norfolk County Council, working closely with the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in support of the West Winch Strategic Growth Area, which has been identified as a key site in the borough for new homes, facilities and services. As well as new homes, it will also offer employment opportunities, commercial space, community resources, health facilities, education, play facilities, public open spaces and transport links, all on one site.

Norfolk County Council will now work with Costain to finalise the detailed design of the housing access road project, with construction anticipated to start in 2027, following the completion of major gas diversion works. Subject to final business case approval, the project is set to receive significant funding from the UK Government as well as Homes England.

On current timetables, the road is very likely to be open for use before anyone moves into the new houses in the growth area. Even if there were any delays to the road, there are limitations in place via the planning process that no more than 300 homes can be developed with access via the existing A10 only.

People can keep up to date with the latest news on the West Winch Housing Access Road project by visiting www.norfolk.gov.uk/westwinchA10