Key workers can use a partly completed new road in Grimsby while construction work is delayed.

Work on a new road in North East Lincolnshire has been halted because of coronavirus - but key workers will find it easier to make essential journeys as they can use the new road while construction work is delayed.

Work on the £8.5m Humber Bank Link Road project part-funded by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP was halted this week, initially for four weeks.

The situation will be reviewed after that time in line with Government guidance.

However, this does mean that those taking essential journeys will temporarily be able to use the full stretch of road, part new and part existing, between the Hobson Way roundabout at Stallingborough to Moody Lane in Grimsby, but only until the project is able to restart. Businesses are being informed of the temporary arrangement.

As previously reported the Humber Bank Link Road is a new 2.5km unclassified highway which links the existing Hobson Way roundabout with Moody Lane – creating an easier passage between the ports of Immingham and Grimsby and cutting journey times by up to 20 minutes.

The first and most complicated section was completed at the end of last month, slightly behind schedule as bad weather and severe flooding led to unavoidable delays. It involved the building of a completely new stretch of highway on previously undeveloped land.

The next part of the build will replace the existing stretch of road between The Gatehouse and Moody Lane. When this phase does start, the old road will be closed except for access to the premises of Solenis UK Limited. The final piece of the jigsaw will be to link the sections of road together to complete the £8.5m new road.

The Humber Link Road is a part of North East Lincolnshire Council’s South Humber Industrial Investment Programme, (SHIIP) supported by the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Work started in March 2019 following the appointment of the successful contractor, Colas-Siac Construction.

North East Lincolnshire Council’s Cabinet member for Regeneration and Deputy Leader Councillor John Fenty said: “You can already see the remarkable difference that new infrastructure, such as this road will make. Easy and rapid access between our main industrial hubs is an important element of ensuring we have the very best base from which industry can grow.

“We all understand the need to postpone the next phase of this work and we all fully support the reasons for doing so, but we all hope to see things starting again as soon as it is safe and practical to do so.”