Ely’s £30m southern bypass is still expected to open by the end of next year - even though the “final allocation” of Government funding is yet to arrive.

A confident update on progress was given on Tuesday to the county council’s economy, transport and environment committee.

Land owners expecting a total of £2.31million - who had expected to be paid in the last financial year - can now expect it this year, councillors were told.

“The procurement process is underway and the land acquisition process is now complete,” said a report.

All land needed for the bypass will be in place by next month. At the same time, a contract for the bypass is expected to be announced along with detailed design.

Work is expected to start as early as September or October this year with completion scheduled for late 2017.

The committee was told that the Department for Transport “has confirmed that the final allocation of funding will not receive approval until the final tender price is known and the business case approved.

“Any earlier spend would be at some risk which includes £240,000 consultancy costs.”

The committee was told that “a process for confirming the business case however has been agreed with the DfT and sign off of the release is expected in May/June and the appointment of an approved contractor in June 2016.”

MP Lucy Frazer said she had recently held a meeting at Westminster involving the minister, officials from the Department of Transport, Graham Hughes, the director of economy and transport at the county council and James Palmer, Leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council.

“This was to ensure that the project remains on track,” she said.

“The county council are in the final throws of finalising the business case, tenders are out and hopefully work will start later in the year.

“I will continue to encourage all those involved to progress this project to ease traffic congestion into Ely.”