A47 dualling scheme on time after 'huge progress'

The 5.5-mile (9km) new stretch will run to the south of the existing road at Hockering, and north of it at Honingham

A delayed scheme to dual part of the A47 west of Norwich has made "huge progress" due to this year's dry weather, its project lead has said.

Work on the new road between East Tuddenham and Easton began in October 2024 following a two-year failed legal bid to prevent it over carbon omissions concerns.

The 5.5-mile (9km) new stretch will run to the south of the existing road at Hockering, and north of it at Honingham.

"We are over 50% completed... we are definitely on time and within budget, with another year and a bit to go," said Chris Griffin of National Highways.

The current stretch of the A47 - which has several local access roads to the north and south - was "very unsafe", he said, and had experienced two fatalities this year.

"The new road is built to new road design safety, so things like people pulling out from side roads on to a fast dual carriageway, we just don't do that anymore," said Mr Griffin.

"We're building dedicated side roads, we go to two brand new big junctions; we are taking the local road traffic away from a fast road.

"There are things like the road surfacing to prevent people driving off the road, much-improved drainage systems to take surface water away, so the new road will be a high standard, modern, well-designed safe road."

Journey time improvements would be "significant" as flyovers replaced roundabouts and flooding issues would be negated with 50km (31 miles) of drainage designed to cope with heavy rainfall, he added.

Motorists are expected to get their first taste of some of the new road in spring next year, when traffic has to move away from the existing A47 for junction work to take place there.

The entire stretch is then due to open in spring 2027.