Dramatic pictures show scale of £460m road project

Construction is under way for an eight-lane, three-mile dual carriageway

Dramatic drone pictures show the scale of construction work required to build a dual carriageway.

The shots from National Highways show just one part of the £460m A417 Missing Link scheme, which will span the three miles (5km) between Gloucester and Cirencester.

In June, workers began moving 10 huge, 100-tonne steel beams into place to support what will be the largest "green bridge" in the UK, serving walkers, cyclists and horse riders as well as wildlife.

The Gloucestershire Way bridge at Shab Hill will cross the eight lanes of the dual carriageway and will be planted with native grass and hedges.

Green bridges create a safe crossing point for wildlife and join up habitats, making animal populations more resilient, according to the National Highways website.

The project is due to be completed in 2027.

The road, dug out of green fields, will connect Cirencester and Gloucester

Each of the 10 steel beams that will support the Gloucestershire Way bridge weighs 100 tonnes

The bridge will span the eight lanes of the dual carriageway