Northampton North West Relief Road: Strategic Road Integration
Product: HAPAS approved thin surface course, CL929 base and binder materials
Volume: 19,400 tonnes
Main contractor: Heidelberg Materials Contracting along with Balfour Beatty
Client: Northamptonshire County Council
Overview:
Heidelberg Materials UK partnered with Balfour Beatty to support the construction of the Northampton North West Relief Road, providing 19,400 tonnes of asphalt materials for the new 2km link. The project was designed to reduce congestion and enable future residential development, with work involving complex tie-ins, level transitions, and detailed regulating to achieve seamless integration with existing infrastructure. Strong collaboration and continuous on-site presence ensured challenges were addressed efficiently, particularly around the new bridge section. The completed road now plays a key role in improving traffic flow and supporting long-term growth in the area.
Project description:
Heidelberg Materials UK partnered with Balfour Beatty to support the construction of the Northampton North West Relief Road, commissioned by Northamptonshire County Council. Valued at £2.1 million, our contribution involved the supply and installation of 19,400 tonnes of asphalt materials for a project designed to reduce local congestion and support future residential development.
The Northampton North West Relief Road is a newly constructed 2km single carriageway, connecting Sandy Lane & A5199 to Mill Road. The scheme was 90% offline, with 10% online tie-ins, and included installation of base and binder layers using CL.929 hardstone materials, capped with a HAPAS-approved thin surface course. The project featured mostly daytime works, with some night shifts required around roundabout areas.
From the outset, this project was defined by strong collaboration between Heidelberg Materials UK and Balfour Beatty. Frequent site visits and close working relationships allowed us to address technical challenges early, most notably, the profiling of the planed road into the new carriageway and level alignment at the bridge section. Thanks to the project’s proximity, our team maintained a strong on-site presence, which proved critical to efficient coordination and issue resolution.
The relief road now plays a vital role in diverting traffic away from congested local routes, while also enabling access to future housing developments. Our timely delivery and attention to detail helped ensure the road was ready for integration into the wider transport network without delay.
Rather than highlighting problems, this project reinforced a key success factor: early engagement, clear communication, and a unified team approach make complex projects far more manageable. The outcome here was a smooth delivery with minimal disruption, an example of how effective partnerships drive results.
