The leader of Warwickshire County Council George Finch baulked at the ill-fated A46 project's 'Bridge to Nowhere' moniker in a frosty exchange over current progress.

The significantly overdue and over-budget works to build an extra bridge straddling the A46 at Stoneleigh Junction near Kenilworth has been a source of embarrassment for elected and employed officials at Shire Hall for some time.

It was the ultimate hospital pass received by the Reform UK administration that took charge in May 2025 after problems associated with a lack of available material to complete slip roads and subsequent cost overruns led to a mid-project redesign.

Work recommenced at the start of 2026 with the scheme now due to finish by the summer of 2027 – five years later than planned.

The last published estimate cost of £57 million is more than two-and-a-half times the £21 million mooted when the project was initially taken forward by the Conservatives in 2016 and 50 per cent more than the £38 million quoted when more detailed plans were rubber stamped.

The council is understood to have put up more money on top of the £57 million to get the project over the line having failed to make contractors Colas responsible for the overruns but it is keeping the amount secret, citing commercial sensitivity.

Funding agreements with the government and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) mean the county is on the hook for every penny over the budget of £38 million.

The project came up as part of the cabinet – the Reform UK panel of councillors in charge of major service areas – discussing service estimates for the new financial year.

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Deputy leader and portfolio holder for property and finance Cllr Stephen Shaw)acknowledged there was "some big expenditure coming our way, especially with the A46".

"It is being closely monitored but officers have assured me that everything is under control and, especially with the A46, that we are actually going to finish on time and probably below budget as well," he said. 

That drew attention from opposition councillors who have regularly questioned the council's highest-profile headache. 

Cllr Keith Kondakor noted: "We haven't got the budget for the A46 in this paperwork.

"It is a big area that we cannot talk about. I don't want you telling us it is under budget without telling us what that budget is and you can't do that, so it is under a budget but not necessarily under this budget."

But it was the intervention of Cllr Richard Dickson, who sought answers from the county on this long before his election to the authority in May 2025, that really rattled cages.

Stating it was good to hear progress was "ahead of the revised schedule", he referred to it as the "Bridge to Nowhere" but then paused halfway through stating how overdue it was, seemingly because the attention of meeting chair and leader Cllr Finch had diverted to dialogue with chief executive Monica Fogarty who was sat beside him. 

Cllr Finch filled the awkward silence by firing back with: "I was just clarifying that it is not the bridge to nowhere, it is called the A46 Stoneleigh bridge.

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"I know that you want to make political point scoring on it but this was not done under our administration, we are working at it and working fast.

"The portfolio holder has dedicated a lot of time to speaking to the contractors so I don't want any political point scoring from this point, please. Just get to the question." 

Cllr Dickson said: "It is interesting to hear you use the word fast – it is now more than four months since…" He then stopped again to await Cllr Finch's attention.

The leader said: "I can have clarification from the chief executive while you talk. You understand that, I assume you have been a councillor for some time."

Cllr Dickson replied: "I can pause as well if I choose to." Cllr Finch asked him to continue.

"Since you use the word fast, it is four months since the confidential session where full council discussed an increased budget for that project, which is the biggest capital project in the county," said Cllr Dickson.

He asked for an update on when the actual budget would be set, including the formal agreement of the final Compensation Event figure – the extra money the council must pay Colas to cover the cost of the unforeseen issues. 

Cllr Shaw replied: "That is something that me and Jennifer (Cllr Jennifer Warren, portfolio holder for transport and planning) will be discussing.

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"There is no set date at the moment but we will keep you updated."