Published 21/9/2026 By William Turtle-Clark

Preparatory work on the first phase of the Hereford bypass has begun, with Herefordshire Council allocating forty-five million pounds for the initial two-mile section connecting the A49 and A465 southwest of the city.

Initial site preparations, including boundary fencing, ground investigations, and drainage and pavement surveys, are underway along the route.

Herefordshire Council stated the initial link road will improve regional access from South Wales and reduce traffic on existing routes such as Belmont Road, Walnut Tree Avenue, and Holme Lacy Road. In the long term, the local authority expects Phase One to form an anchor point for a full western bypass, intended to support land for up to fourteen thousand new homes and ten thousand jobs across the wider scheme.

Outlining the strategic case for the project, Councillor Philip Price, Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure, noted the economic objectives of the investment.

Councillor Price said: "After years of discussion and planning, preparatory works have now begun on the ground as we prepare the route ahead of future construction.

"Our priority is to ensure the scheme remains deliverable while providing value for money for Herefordshire residents. There is a strong strategic and economic case for investing in the county's infrastructure, and significant public support for the bypass.

"When built it will unblock congestion in the city, unlock economic growth for the county and unleash Herefordshire's future."

The start of site works coincides with ongoing public consultation and community feedback regarding the project's environmental and traffic impacts.

The council has received around forty public objections regarding its application to forgo a full Environmental Impact Assessment for twenty-six enabling sites along the Phase One route. Local campaigners, including Liz Morawiecka and Hereford Civic Society Chair Jeremy Milln, raised concerns regarding the consultation timeline and highlighted potential impacts on local watercourses, ancient woodland, and protected species.

At the same time, rural residents west of Hereford formed the Madley and Bridge Sollers Traffic Action Group to address concerns over traffic distribution. Under original planning conditions, heavy goods vehicles will be restricted on Belmont Road once the initial link road opens. Residents expressed concern that lorry traffic could use Bridge Sollers Road, the primary River Wye crossing west of the city, as an alternative route. The group has submitted a petition requesting traffic monitoring and potential weight restrictions on the road.

Alongside public feedback, the local authority is assessing technical and financial factors during the pre-construction phase. These include updated design requirements, planning constraints, ecological working windows, construction inflation, and potential cost adjustments for the initial phase.

Addressing these technical factors, Councillor Price stated that the early project stage is intended to assess operational requirements.

He added: "At the same time, we are being clear about the challenges. Major infrastructure projects are complex, and the pre-construction stage is doing what it is supposed to do: testing the design, exposing risks, understanding costs and making sure we have a deliverable plan before any decision is made to move into the main construction contract.

"The council has previously been clear about its ambition to begin construction by December 2026, but it is also important that we take account of the latest information coming through... including land, design, ecology, technical approvals and cost pressures."

Herefordshire Council's cabinet will consider an update report on the progress and technical assessment of the project at its meeting on September twenty-fourth.