Feature, Freight News, Road

Today’s a lucky day for east of England drivers

[ May 13, 2022   //   Chris ]

The first in a series of major road improvements to the A47 in the East of England was officially opened today (Friday 13 May).

The A47 Guyhirn junction, near Wisbech, marks the beginning of six significant schemes 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.

Baroness Vere, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Transport, officially opened the £17m project alongside local MP and Downing Street chief of staff Stephen Barclay.

Local schoolgirl Ava McCulloch was also present as the winner of a competition to rename the widened Nene Bridge. It will now be known as the Tiddy Mun Bridge, named after the bog spirit who controls the waters and mists of The Fens.

The main work was completed on the year-long project at the end of March which has seen the junction enlarged with additional approach lanes.

The junction was previously the source of regular congestion with over 20,000 vehicles a day using the roundabout. Following the completion of the work, journey times are expected to be reduced by up to four minutes and capacity increased by 18%. Wider lanes will also help with visibility for all road users making the junction safer.

National Highways senior project manager for Guyhirn, Jonathan Donlevy, said: “This is great news for local people and those who regularly work and travel through Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.

“The improvements we have made here are just the start of the work we are undertaking over the next two years to significantly improve the A47 between Peterborough and Great Yarmouth. This will help connect local communities, ease congestion and support economic growth.”

Galliford Try Project Manager for Guyhirn, Tim Walker, said: “More than 120 staff have worked for over 110,000 hours to make this happen. The enlarged roundabout and additional lanes will ease congestion, ensure shorter journey times and improve safety.”

“In addition to the completed Guyhirn scheme, three sections of the A47 will be upgraded to a dual carriageway. In Norfolk the A47 will be dualled between Blofield and North Burlingham and between North Tuddenham and Easton, and in Cambridgeshire between Wansford and Sutton, the A11 Thickthorn junction interchange will also be improved. Work on these projects is due to start in spring 2023.”

Baroness Vere of Norbiton, said: “The opening of this vital new road scheme is a significant improvement to the road network in Cambridgeshire and it was a pleasure to be here to mark the occasion today.

“This is just the first of several schemes totalling an investment of nearly half a billion pounds to promote economic growth, improve road safety and journey times for local residents and people travelling through the area.”

Stephen Barclay said: “The completion of the A47 Guyhirn junction is great news for motorists, both in facilitating faster journey times and by increasing road safety for drivers and pedestrians.

“More than 20,000 vehicles use this junction and the short-term pain of roadworks during the last year will be offset by the reduced congestion and faster journeys that these improvements bring.

“The A47 is a vital route for the growth of our economy in North East Cambridgeshire and I look forward to further improvements in due course.”

Tags: Department of transport