Smooth operation: New £100 million dual carriageway open for traffic

Motorists are now travelling along the route of the new dual carriageway between Blofield to North Burlingham for the first time.

The opening of this new 2.6 mile stretch of smooth road is a major milestone for the project which is just a few months away from opening.

Once finished the new dual carriageway is set to significantly improve safety whilst also increasing capacity – it is estimated that 30,000 vehicles use this section daily. It is also set to boost the potential for economic growth, improving the link between Norwich and the port at Great Yarmouth.

Together with the ongoing Tuddenham and Thickthorn projects,  it marks over half a billion pounds of road investment in the area.

Chris Griffin, Programme Manager for National Highways, said that whilst this opening is a major step, one lane on either side still remains closed for safety reasons whilst the remaining work is completed, with a 40mph speed limit.

He said: “The project will provide a legacy to the region, improving access to the port and bringing a boost to the economy in Norfolk.

“After a very wet winter, it’s been quite an achievement to get this phase of the project completed. It has taken a sterling effort from all those involved.

“There remains some work to do before the project is fully opened but we are delighted with the progress and are set to meet our stated opening date. By moving traffic onto the new carriageway this will allow us to complete the final phases of the project.”

He said around 76 per cent of the workforce involved in it are local and environmentally it is bringing a large biodiversity net gain too.

Tom Farley, Galliford Try Project Director, said: “I’m hugely proud of the team for the effort and commitment they’ve shown to get the new A47 stretch between Blofield and North Burlingham open on time for local people. It’s a major milestone after a lot of hard work, and we’re now focused on finishing the remaining works so we can open all lanes and get the new road running at 70mph.”

Work up to opening in the early summer will include completing the two new local access junctions, converting the old A47 to make it suitable for local traffic, including creating new cycle paths and further local road improvements.

With work currently continuing at the Tuddenham to Easton sister project on the A47, a huge amount of material has been shared to save carbon.

And unique features to enhance and protect wildlife are being created with a new wetland and species rich grassland meadows.

A new bridge has been added over the new dual carriageway to connect the villages of Blofield and North Burlingham and take traffic from Blofield toward Great Yarmouth. In addition, the B1140 junction has been changed, with a new two-tier junction connecting B1140 South Walsham Road (north of the A47) with B1140 Coxhill Road (south of the A47).

The project is committed to no net loss of habitats or biodiversity – there will be a 40 per cent net gain in biodiversity with hedgerows, planting new areas of woodland, wetland, scrub and species rich grassland to increase habitats for badgers and reptiles. Overall, more than 65,000 new trees and shrubs will be planted.

The scheme will also provide new safe dedicated cycleways.

Key stats to the project

-150 members of the Blofield team (76%) are considered local (within 40 miles)

-Four military veterans are employed on the project

-110,000m3 or 13,750 lorry loads of excess material from the A47 Tuddenham scheme was transported to be re-used at Blofield, minimising road congestion and saving carbon.

-The project uses Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steel which is considered low carbon because it uses electricity to melt recycled steel, which produces less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional steelmaking methods.

-New 8km cycleway along the new A47 and the de-trunked (existing) A47.

-12 bat boxes and 54 bird boxes installed (40 general, 5 barn owl, 2 tawny owl, 5 kestrel, 2 mallard tubes).