Full business case published for £45m Hereford bypass

Hereford’s long-awaited western ring road has moved forward, after a full business case was published for the first phase of the project.

The two-mile road will link the A49 to A465, forming what the council describes as a “key building block” for the construction of the remainder of the bypass project, with phase two planned to extend northwest of the city, eventually linking back up with the A49 on the other side.

Herefordshire council says the scheme, which has been on the drawing board for more than a decade, will require “significant external funding” from the Department for Transport, National Highways, and the private sector.

But the authority believes up to 14,000 homes and 370 acres of employment land could eventually be unlocked by the project.

The first £45m phase of the project will be funded entirely by Herefordshire Council. Works are expected to begin in December.

“The Hereford Bypass is a transformational opportunity to improve the environment through the city centre, making it a more attractive location, to live, work, study and undertake leisure activities,” said the FBC document, published this week.

“Phase one of the bypass is a down-payment on achieving transformational change within the city. The benefits of phase one are modest relative to full bypass but still represent value for money in isolation.”

Graham Construction was awarded a £1.8m contract to build the first phase of the AECOM-designed scheme earlier this year.

“Publishing the full business case is an important milestone in progressing the Hereford Bypass,” said Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for transport and infrastructure Cllr Philip Price.

“Delivering a scheme of this importance will require the support and involvement of the whole community. By working together, we can help create a transport network that supports Herefordshire’s future, improves connectivity and unlocks new opportunities for generations to come.”