The Chipping Warden bypass is now open! The road will allow through traffic to avoid the centre of the village and will bring great relief to residents and greater safety to schoolchildren.

This has been a result of many years of hard work by local residents, local Councillors and my own Parliamentary team to make the case at the HS2 select committee hearings as well as to keep the project on track over subsequent years.

The new road, which takes the A361 around the north west side of Chipping Warden, has been delivered in partnership with West Northamptonshire Council, (previously Northamptonshire County Council), and built by HS2 contractors ahead of the start of work on the new high speed railway which will pass to the east of the village.

The A361 – between Daventry and the M40 – used to pass through the centre of Chipping Warden, passing the Chipping Warden Primary Academy. The new road will improve road safety in the village, improve air quality and cut noise for residents. It runs from just north of Hogg End to a point north of Long Barrow but south of Stone House. Local buses will still be able to use the existing bus stops in the centre of the village.

The construction of the 1km long relief road was agreed when the HS2 Act was passing through Parliament and built by HS2’s early works contractor Fusion – a team made up of BAM Nuttall, Ferrovial and Morgan Sindall working with Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd.

This has been many years in the making, and alongside the Parish Council and local residents, I have lobbied HS2 and Government hard for this vital road to be constructed. Residents are rightly pleased that the road will finally be open and it was great to drive on it over the weekend!