A46 widening 'could bring in £2m' to Lincolnshire
Road improvements on the A46 could bring in £2m to the Lincolnshire economy, according to a business group.
The road between Newark and Widmerpool in Nottinghamshire has been made into a dual carriageway and is expected to open fully by the end of March.
Simon Beardsley, from Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, said it would attract more business as it would be easier to get in and out of the county.
He said about £2m could be brought into the area during the first year.
Mr Beardsley said it would save haulage firms money as journey times would be cut on the A46, which connects Lincoln with Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.
"Businesses were feeling they were losing time and money using that particular road.
"It was estimated that once completion of the road took place there would be a 20 to 25 minute time saving between Newark and Widmerpool because of the upgrade of the carriageway.
"If you build that into time savings for a HGV driver going between a and b then companies can move their products faster."
He said it would also deter firms from moving away from the county and promote new investment.
"If it is seen as a county that is easy to get in and out of then then it's one of the factors for businesses to locate here," he said.
Peter Denby, from Lincoln-based Denby Transport, said a reduction of 20 to 25 minutes on a journey "might be a bit of a stretch" but was hopeful of making savings as a result of the work.
"My best estimate is something like a 15 minute saving for a lorry on that journey.
"My truck drivers are limited by law to driving nine hours a day, so if you're doing two or three trips it's a considerable saving, so it's a very welcome improvement."
He said his drivers could also travel up to 50mph on a dual carriageway, as opposed to 40 mph on a single road, which would improve fuel efficiency.