The Conservatives’ A46 Bridge to Nowhere

The A46 Stoneleigh Junction project near Kenilworth, managed by the Conservative-led Warwickshire County Council, was to be completed in summer 2022 for £38 million, but as of February 2025 it is unfinished and an embarrassment to local people, who are calling it the “Bridge to Nowhere”. And the cost will probably be over £50 million.

In January 2025, a Conservative Councillor accidentally disclosed that an additional £16 million had been allocated to the project. Labour Councillor John Holland says, “The original design just cannot be done. It is financial mismanagement, but it is a result of their absence of strategy.” 

John explains that the original project was not defined properly, saying, “The lack of a well-defined and realistic plan means that it is costing more money to put it right.“

The project aimed to alleviate congestion by constructing a second bridge to form a new roundabout. “That’s obviously pretty important, but the  failure to deliver has other consequences too,” says John.

The Eastern Bypass around Coventry moved traffic congestion southwards, so this expensive hiatus also makes it harder to plan for the necessary development of new houses in that area. That has consequences for ordinary people, jobs, and the local economy.

Councillor Sarah Feeney, leader of the Labour group, described a lack of competence saying, “We are constantly talking about highways problems.” She asks for a more collaborative approach to address these persistent issues. 

The Conservative leadership blames challenges in sourcing appropriate materials and ongoing disputes with contractors. John Holland takes a different view, “Like I say, it is a result of failure to plan properly.” 

The Conservatives have not been able to defend the management of the project, the financial over-run, and the fact that it is completely stalled.

Meantime, local residents are left to sit in traffic and pick up the bill.

photo credit: Google Earth