Highways England has announced preferred routes for its £300m package of works to improve the 115 mile stretch of the A47 between Peterborough and Great Yarmouth.
Across the six separate schemes works will include dualling three parts of the route and improving several junctions and roundabouts.
At more than £300m, the cost of the A47 corridor improvement programme represents a tenth of Highways England’s £3bn spending in the East of England under the £15bn road investment strategy 2015-20.
Philip Davie, Highways England programme leader for the A47, said: ‘We have listened to the publics’ views and these have helped shape and inform our approach to our proposed schemes. Work now continues, adding detail to the design for each of the dualling and junction improvements, and on planning how we will deliver them in a way that keeps traffic moving.’
Works between North Tuddenham and Easton will see the A47 upgraded to dual carriageway along its existing route, with the alignment amended ‘to address some of the key concerns raised’.
For the Blofield to North Burlingham dualling, a new stretch of dual carriageway will be built a little to the south of the existing A47.
For the A47 Thickthorn Interchange with the A11, Highways England consulted on a single option for junction improvements, which will now deliver a direct link from the A11 northbound to the A47 eastbound, and similarly from the A47 westbound to the A11 southbound, alleviating congestion at the roundabout.
At Great Yarmouth, the Vauxhall roundabout will be enlarged and fully signalled. It will also get an extended bridge and a new slip road. There will be minor improvements at the Station Approach junction, while the Gapton roundabout will be significantly improved as it is widened and fully signalled.
Highways England has decided on an option for dualling the A47 between the A1 junction at Wansford and the dual carriageway section west of Peterborough. This will include building a new dual carriageway to the north, at the western end, and to the south, at the eastern end.
There will also be a dedicated slip road from the A1 southbound to the A47 eastbound to alleviate congestion at the junction. Since the consultation, the alignment has been amended to address some of the key concerns raised.
The single option proposed for the Guyhirn junction will see the roundabout enlarged and the road over the River Nene Bridge widened to three lanes to ease congestion.
Highways England said that subject to statutory processes, work on the six projects could begin as early as March 2020, with completion dates starting from March 2021.