The Secretary of State for Transport approved plans to build a new dual carriageway on the A47 between Blofield and North Burlingham – helping to improve safety on one of the county’s most dangerous A roads.
National Highways’ £90 million scheme was approved by the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP through the granting of a development consent order (DCO). This is a way of obtaining permission for a development which is seen as nationally important for the infrastructure of the country.
The granting of the DCO means work on the project can begin later this year.
The 1.6-mile dual carriageway, which will be built around 70m south of the existing A47, will include the construction of two new junctions and bridges for the B1140 and to connect Blofield and North Burlingham. This will make local side road access onto the A47 safer.
Traffic modelling data shows this section of the A47 is used by over 30,000 vehicles each year and has one of the highest recorded accident rates for an A road in the UK. Following the opening of the new dual carriageway, casualty projections over the next 60 years show that 190 accidents will be prevented, including 29 involving a fatality or serious injury.
With the construction of the new dual carriageway, the existing A47 will be ‘de-trunked’ meaning it will come under control of Norfolk County Council as a local road. Under the plans, additional provision will be provided for vulnerable road users meaning an integrated network of routes for pedestrians and cyclists alongside the old A47.
This scheme is one of six major improvements and almost half a billion pounds of investment National Highways is making along the 115-mile section of the A47 between Peterborough and Great Yarmouth.
The first of these – a £17 million upgrade to Guyhirn junction in Cambridgeshire – officially opened last month.
Chris Griffin, Programme Leader for National Highways in the East Region, said: “We are delighted with today’s announcement which means we can proceed with our plans to replace this section of the A47 with a dual carriageway. This will reduce congestion, improve journey times and, most significantly, make the road safer.
“Getting the green light for this project means we reach the next stage in our commitment to improving the A47 corridor with six major projects worth almost half a billion pounds of investment.
“At this stage I would also like to acknowledge and thank all those who have helped with the development of this scheme. We remain grateful for your contributions and look forward to building on those relationships as we move towards construction.”
The new section of the A47 is due to open to traffic in the summer of 2024.
“Increasing road capacity and connecting communities across the east of England will pave the way for economic growth in this part of the country,” added Mr Griffin.
To raise further awareness of our work on the A47 a series of public events will take place locally from August with online briefings to follow in September. These will be publicised closer to the time.
For updates on this scheme please follow: www://nationalhighways.co.uk/a47blofield
To read about our work to improve the A47 corridor you can follow: www://nationalhighways.co.uk/a47corridor
