Road users are being invited to share their views on plans to upgrade a vital roundabout that connects the A11 and the A47 south of Norwich in a consultation that begins today (Monday 3 June).

Highways England announced its preferred option for upgrading the Thickthorn interchange in August 2017, as part of a £300 million series of upgrades along the A47 corridor.

The upgrade could save drivers up to six minutes on journeys and will improve safety and boost the economy. The consultation runs for six weeks until Thursday 11 July.

Following a previous consultation, the option selected will see two new free-flowing link roads created for drivers heading from the northbound A11 to the eastbound A47, and from the westbound A47 to the southbound A11. The link roads will all drivers making these movements to avoid using the roundabout, which itself will be freed up for drivers making other turns at the junction.

The improvement will also see traffic lights installed at the junction with the B1172, and a fourth lane added to the southern half of the roundabout. Existing junctions from Cantley Lane to the A11 and A47 will be closed, and replaced with better, safer access via the B1172, and a new bridge will be built for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

Once complete by 2023, this upgraded junction will improve journey times by up to six minutes for the 53,000 drivers who use the roundabout daily, while also making the junction safer by reducing the number of accidents there.

The consultation takes into account earlier feedback on the proposals and now local people, drivers and business owners are being invited to share their views on the latest plans to help ensure the improvements deliver the best possible outcomes for people using and living near the road when work starts in 2021.

Highways England programme lead for the A47, Peter Havlicek, said: “The A47 is a key route connecting East Anglia with the midlands, and upgrading key sections of it, like the Thickthorn interchange is helping is to keep the country connected. We used your feedback from the first stage of consultation we carried out in 2017 to refine our plans for upgrading the Thickthorn interchange, improving access for drivers between the A11 and A47 while also maintaining access for other road users. We know that there is a lot of support for this improvement, and we hope users participate fully in this next stage consultation too to help refine our plans for this investment and deliver the best road.

“People can take part in numerous ways, and we’ll be hosting several events for them to come and talk with the team to share their thoughts, concerns and feedback. This upgraded junction is one of six schemes we’ll be doing to improve the A47 between Peterborough and Great Yarmouth, and it’s important that we get it right for road users and the affected communities.”

You can take part in the consultation, which runs from Monday 3 June to 11.59pm on Thursday 11 July, by visiting www.highwaysengland.co.uk/A47Thickthorn, by writing to Freepost A47 Thickthorn Junction, or by completing one of the forms available at the public events and collection points. There will be four public exhibitions at which you can have your say and speak with members of the team. These will be at:

  • Hethersett Village Hall, Back Lane, Hethersett, NR9 3JJ, on Monday 10 June, from 1pm to 8pm;
  • Ketteringham Village Hall, High Street, Ketteringham, NR18 8RU, on Thursday 13 June, from 1pm to 8pm;
  • The Willow Centre, 1 – 13 Willowcroft Way, Cringleford, NR4 7JJ, on Friday 14 June, from 1pm to 8pm;
  • 47 Giles Street, Norwich, NR2 1JR, on Saturday 15 June, from 11am to 5pm.

Three sections of the 115-mile stretch of the A47 between Peterborough and Great Yarmouth will be upgraded to dual carriageway. Norfolk sections will be upgraded between Blofield and North Burlingham and from North Tuddenham to Easton, while in Peterborough the A47 between Wansford and Sutton will also be dualled. There will be further junction improvements at the A141 roundabout in Guyhirn and in Great Yarmouth.

The six projects are all part of the Government’s record £15 billion investment in England’s motorways and major A roads, with £3 billion of that being invested in the East of England.

For more information about the plans, please visit www.highways.gov.uk/a47improvement