Speed limit on A-road to be cut for safety reasons

The Acle Straight links Great Yarmouth with the town of Acle

The speed limit on a busy road to the coast is expected to be cut within the next few months - for safety reasons.

National Highways wants to reduce the limit on the A47 in Norfolk between Acle and Great Yarmouth from 60mph to 50mph.

The organisation said there had been 54 crashes on the road between 2017 and 2021 with 138 people hurt.

The lower limit could be brought in as soon as January, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Average speed cameras

National Highways, the government company responsible for the road, has sent letters inviting organisations and individuals to have their say on the plans.

The 50mph limit would be enforced by average speed cameras – which use automatic number plate reading equipment to record drivers' speeds.

Speaking at a meeting of Norfolk County Council this week, a spokesman for National Highways said it needed to submit an application for a traffic regulation order to cut the limit.

The proposals for the 6.8-mile (11km) section of road have been met with criticism from some councillors.

Brian Long, a Conservative councillor, said: “I appreciate why National Highways is putting in new speed limits and know it’s about safety, but Norfolk needs to do business with the rest of the country.

“Having a road that is restricted in speed, place after place, is not the best solution. We need the entire road dualled. That is the one thing that would alleviate the need for speed restrictions and get traffic moving.”