A47 road scheme on track to finish next spring

Chris Griffin said the scheme was "getting closer to completion"

A £90m project to dual a major stretch of road used by 30,000 vehicles daily is on track to be completed next year.

Work on the 2.6-mile (4.2km) stretch of the A47 will replace the existing single-lane section between Blofield and North Burlingham east of Norwich with a dual carriageway and is due to be completed by the summer.

The project was approved by the government in June 2022 with work starting in October 2024, leaving drivers facing reduced speed limits while it has been ongoing.

Chris Griffin, National Highways programme lead, said: "We've had a very good summer... we are ahead of the curve; progress is really good."

Part of the scheme will see a new bridge added over a new dual carriageway connecting the villages of Blofield and North Burlingham, and will take traffic from Blofield to join the A47 eastbound to Great Yarmouth.

Mr Griffin said work was "getting closer to completion".

He said: "We've got to get through a tricky winter. We've already had our first snow, but, fingers crossed, if we have a good winter, we will be on time to get the scheme delivered next year."

National Highways said the project was committed to creating new habitats and areas of grassland and woodland for animals, including badgers and reptiles

It is expected to be open to traffic in March ahead of the scheme's full completion.

It aims to ease congestion, improve safety and resilience and speed up journey times.

Mr Griffin said: "The primary aim of this scheme is to deal with a very, very, difficult dangerous section of single carriageway road.

"It will improve journey times but the biggest benefit you're going to get out of this is when there is an accident, the scheme will be a lot more resilient to be able to move the traffic around."

The project is also committed to no net loss of habitats or biodiversity, with the planting of new woodland areas and grassland to increase habitats for badgers and reptiles.

Tom Farley said it had been challenging to complete the earthworks before the winter months

Tom Farley, project director for construction group Galliford Try, said the works were two-thirds completed.

"Many people think it's basically digging and moving materials, but the logistics are a key part of it," he said.

"The main challenges have been to get the earthworks completed this summer... we can start to think about running traffic on it in the new year."

Of the 150 people working on the project, 76% of them are local to the area.

"Especially being born in Great Yarmouth and living in Norwich... I'm extremely proud to be on here with a lot of people I know," said Mr Farley.

The scheme is one of three major upgrade projects currently taking place on the A47 in Norfolk.

Works at Tuddenham, between Norwich and Dereham, are set to finish in 2027 and improvements to the Thickthorn roundabout are due to be completed in 2028.