Get Boston
Moving
Lincolnshire
Welcome
When I was elected MP for Boston and Skegness constituency just under 12 months ago, I pledged to tirelessly improve the lives of constituents across Boston and Skegness.
With the recent local election success of gaining control of Lincolnshire County Council and a Reform UK Mayor of The Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA), this is the time to present the case for both Road and Rail improvements in and around Boston Town, which is universally known to be a bottleneck of congestion.
Boston Bypass / Western Distributor route has long history of debate going back to long before the John Adams Way was opened in 1978, and the Railway has only been in decline since 1963 and the Beeching Rail closures.
It is my view that Boston and Skegness have suffered tremendously in lack of funding for the correct investigations into the impact this decline is having on our region as opportunities and aspirations that the significant congestion in Boston creates.
As such, I commissioned this report to highlight some of the challenges, but more importantly the opportunities. That new road and rail solutions may bring to the town of Boston and the wider area.
The Opportunities from Improved Transport Connectivity, To, From and Around Boston
The Problem
- Traffic congestion hampers local businesses by reducing productivity. Delays affect employees, customers, and timely deliveries, disrupting operations and causing missed deadlines.
- Congestion raises fuel and maintenance costs, straining business budgets, especially for those in delivery and logistics.
- Traffic delays disrupt supply chains, causing inventory shortages and higher expedited shipping costs.
- Heavy traffic deters customers, reducing foot traffic and sales, especially in congested areas.
- Long commutes cause employee dissatisfaction and higher turnover, disrupting operations and raising recruitment costs.
Causes of Congestion
ROAD – WATERWAYS CROSSINGS
- The main waterways needing to be crossed with their crossings are:
- The Haven: Haven Bridge
- River Witham: Town Bridge & Fydell Street
- South Forty Foot: Swineshead Road, Spalding Road
- Maud Foster Drain: Skirbeck Road, Vauxhall Road, Wide Bargate, Pilleys Lane
ROAD / RAIL CROSSINGS
- There are currently eleven road/rail crossings in and around Boston:
- A52 at Boardsides, Spalding Road, London Road, Broadfield Lane. West Street, Sluice Bridge, Tattershall Road, Red Cap Lane, Horncastle Road, Willoughby Road, and Pilleys Lane
- Passenger train closures cause up to 1.75 hours of delays daily at each of ten crossings, totalling up to 17.5 hours of road and pedestrian delays per day.
- Freight train closures at Spalding Road, London Road, Broadfield Lane and West Street cause 20-minute delays twice daily, limiting the Port to a single tide operation.
Routes to East or West with two Central Sections which are relevant to either route
Requirement to complete a full set of Treasury Five Case Business Cases for scrutiny at the planning consent stage.
TOTAL TIME ESTIMATE: 4.5 years to open to traffic
Strategic Outline Business Case Cost: £350,000
Outline Business Case Cost: £1.8m
Final Business Case Cost: £3.45m
Construction Costs: £114.4m
30% Optimism Bias Costs: £36m
Total Project Costs: £156m
See Appendix 1 in downloadable booklet
A16 Boston to Peterborough Dualling
Requirement to complete a full set of Treasury Five Case Business Cases for scrutiny at the planning consent stage.
Transport Works Act Order (TWAO) Planning Consent
Engagement with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and associated County and Unitary Authorities south of Crowland to Peterboorough, plus National Highways connectivity to A47
TOTAL TIME ESTIMATE: 4.5 years to open to traffic
Strategic Outline Business Case Cost: £350,000
Outline Business Case Cost: £4m
Final Business Case Cost: £5.65m
Construction Costs: £200m
30% Optimism Bias Costs: £63m
Total Project Costs: £273m
See Appendix 2 in downloadable booklet
Rail Improvements
Boston Rail Alignment / Stations / Line to Port
Complexity high, with virgin line plus two stations
Estimated Length: 4.5km
ES1-3 Cost: £1.5m; ES4-5 Cost: £1.5m
Line Construction + ES 6-7 Cost: £22.5m North and South
Station Costs: £7m
30% Optimism Bias Cost: £9.75m
Total projected cost: £42.25m
Total Time Estimate: 4 years
Spalding Link – Bicker / Little Hale Fen –
Estimated Length: 6km
ES1-3 Cost: £0.5m; ES4-5 Cost: £0.5m
Line Construction + ES 6-7 Cost: £17m
30% Optimism Bias Cost: £5.4m
Total projected cost: £23.4m
Total Time Estimate: 3 years
See Appendix 3 in downloadable booklet
The Planning
The Process
Conclusion
Boston Bypass
- The AADFs alone warrant a Boston Bypass, the Business Case studies will prove this and conducted correctly will pass scrutiny.
- Cost of the Bypass will be justified by the economic growth created by the reduction in congestion and the connectivity to both North and South along the A16 without the bottleneck of Boston.
A16 Boston to Peterborough Dualling
-
The A16 arterial route from Boston to Peterborough equally has an AADF averaging in excess of 17,000.
-
242 Collisions, 341 Casualties, 17 Fatalities reported between Jan 2013 – Dec 2023
Boston Rail Improvements
- Boston Railway Station sees an average of 617 passengers per day, and 981 passengers travelling through, to and from Skegness each day.
- Rail improvements could close up to seven rail crossings in the town and save up to 12.25 hours of delays per day in Boston generating economic growth of millions of pounds.
Phase 1
- Combined Authority Board Approvals
- Approve Stage Funding
- Approve Procurement Strategy
- Authorise CEO to approve appointments of:
- Contract Management Consultant
- Design Consultant for all Development Stages
- Contractor for early involvement and construction
Phase 2
- Create Contract Management Team internally
- Produce Procurement Tenders for Designer & Contractor
- Produce Legal Contracts for all stages
- Procure Design Consultant
- Procure Contractor
Phase 3
- Gather all relevant County Council historical documents
- Gather local knowledge
- Commence Key Stakeholder Engagement
- Crate working parties and meeting strategy
- Create Portfolio Management Suite
- Create risk register
- Produce Lands Strategy
- Commence Geographical and topographical plan
