Date set for inquiry into £24m Rugby Relief Road overspend

[dutchman]

We’re about to finally find out why the the Rugby Western Relief Road cost £24 million more than it should have done.

The route – which finally fully opened a year later than planned last September – eventually cost £60.5 million.

A review into the project was due to happen last year but was put back as officials had yet ao agree a price with the project’s contractor Carillion.

Warwickshire County Council have consistently blamed outside companies for the delay over issues like sewers, water and electricity supplies, phone reception and work involving a railway bridge.

Six months since it was fully finished, the new road has significantly cut journeys and is being used by around 12,000 vehicles a day.

Council bosses have also calculated that for every £1 spent on the project, £4.50 will be brought into the economy.

Cllr Alan Cockburn, portfolio holder for environment and economy, said: “In the six months since it opened, the Western Relief Road has achieved everything we expected and more in terms of saving time for motorists and improvements in noise pollution, air quality and road safety in the town centre.”

Councillor John Whitehouse, Chair of the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee, said:

“We are now in a position to be able to properly scrutinise the Western Relief Road project and understand in detail why it suffered delays during its construction and exceeded its budget by millions of pounds.”

“We need to establish whether the project has provided good value for taxpayers’ money and identify any lessons to be learned by the county council in the management of such major projects in future.”

“Members of the public are welcome to attend and submit questions prior to the meeting.”

The meeting will happen at Rugby Town Hall on the 15th March at 10am.