Proposed Leicester Bypass

What are the challenges?
Midlands Connect recognises the strategic importance of the A46 corridor. Long distance SW-NE traffi c routes around Birmingham, due to the poor connectivity at the A46 corridor. In addition there are no alternative strategic link roads around the Leicester urban area and the current local road alternatives (south of Leicester) are restricted and congested. This impacts on the potential of further development to the south and east of Leicester.
To the north, the performance of the existing A46 Leicester Western Bypass is also deteriorating, with regular queues, delays and incidents affecting inter-regional travel. The M1 between junction 21 and 21a is a pinch-point on the UK's motorway.
Providing a new and strategic route to allow travel between the A46, M1 and M6 and around Leicester's urban area
Providing a new strategic route to allow travel between A46, M1 and M6 and around Leicester's urban area. This will support wider Midlands Connect aspirations for a new
south-west/south Wales route to the north-east and Scotland (J8 M5 to A1/A46 Newark) and will also provide an opportunity to link to the M1, via a new junction 20A.

Benefits
on the A46/M69 and M1 and providing relief to the 'Birmingham Box'

• New route from the south-west to the north-east, relieving the 'Birmingham Box' • Unlocks over 4,000 Hectares of land in the Leicester urban area • Enables smart motorway by relocating Leicester Forest East services • Provides resilience to M1 and additional capacity for north-south traffi c through Leicestershire
• Removes the M1 Leicester Forest East pinch point for north-south traffi c • Potential long term solution to issues on A46 around Leicester urban area • Aligns with the Nottingham – Leicester – Coventry – Birmingham corridor and the Leicester to Coventry hub • Unlocks land for development in Leicestershire and Warwickshire

More details can be found at

https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/sites/.../prospectus-for-growth-low-resolution.pdf