Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 28 July (HL9485), what caused the delay to the remedial work taking place on the A1 at Water Newton between the imposition of lane closures on 1 November 2024 and July 2025.

National Highways has had to take into account and work within several engineering, environmental, and archaeological constraints. The nature of the required works at this location were both challenging and complex.

The constraints included the presence of numerous public utilities in the immediate area, including a large water main situated close to the carriageway and the existing culvert. The site also includes Billing Brook which runs beneath the A1 at Water Newton and flows into a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. Finally, the proximity of the nearby historic Roman town of Durobrivae which meant that archaeological factors have needed to be taken into account.