Work has commenced on the most northern section of Anglian Water's multi-million-pound water main network.

The 57km Elsham to Lincoln pipeline is part of the largest drinking water project the UK has seen for a generation – hundreds of kilometres of underground, interconnecting pipelines, stretching from Elsham in North Lincolnshire to Essex and Suffolk, will move water from wetter to drier areas. 

Once complete, the network will move 265 million litres of water a day. 

The scale of the work means several weekend road closures are planned across Lincolnshire over the next few months.

• The A46 Lincoln Road – 7pm on Friday March 31 to 6am on Monday April 3


• A631 Bishopbridge Road – 7pm on Friday April 21 to 6am on Monday April 24

• A607 Grantham Road – 7pm on Friday May 12 to 6am on Monday May 15

• A15 Sleaford Road – 7pm on Friday May 19 to 6am Monday on May 22

• A15 Sleaford Road – 7pm on Friday June 9 to 6am Monday on June 12

• B1188 Lincoln Road – 7pm on Friday June 23 to 6am Monday on June 26

Additionally, there are two planned contingency weekends. A third contingency weekend – which will be used if there's a delay or cancellation to any of the other weekend closures – has also been planned, from 7pm on Friday June 30 to 6am on Monday July 3.

• A15 Sleaford Road – 7pm on Friday June 2 to 6am on Monday June 5

• A15 Sleaford Road – 7pm on Friday June 16 to 6am on Monday June 19

Craig Snow, who is overseeing construction of the 57km section, said: "In many places along the pipeline route, we can drill under the road with no need for a closure – but in some areas, for engineering and safety reasons, that's not possible.

"The safety of our teams, and road users across Lincolnshire, is paramount – which is why Lincolnshire County Council's highways department have given us permission for a handful of short, temporary road closures.” "

Construction of a new compound, east of Glentham, was completed earlier this month. It will act of a base for workers constructing the new 57km pipeline.