Blofield to North Burlingham section of A47 in Norfolk to be dualled

Work to dual the A47 from Blofield to North Burlingham will begin in October, but campaigners say the whole road from Great Yarmouth to near Wisbech, needs it

The government has approved a £90m road improvement scheme on an accident blackspot in Norfolk.

The 1.6 mile (2.6km) stretch of the A47 between Blofield and North Burlingham in Norfolk will be dualled to reduce congestion and improve safety.

The section is a known accident blackspot where 33 people have died in crashes in the ten years to 2021, police said.

Improvement work will begin in October, National Highways said.

National Highways said the scheme would "remove unsafe side roads, and improve safety with two new junctions with bridges for the B1140 and to connect Blofield and Burlingham".

The A47 is one of the busiest roads in Norfolk and has a high accident rate

According to National Highways, traffic modelling data from 2019 showed this section of the A47 was used by over 30,000 vehicles a year, and currently has one of the highest recorded accident rates for an A-road in the UK.

"The improvements should save a total of 190 accidents and 29 people killed or seriously injured over a 60-year timeframe," the authority said on its website.

Martin Wilby, who chairs Norfolk County Council's Highways, Transport and Infrastructure Committee, said: "This is a very welcome move as this dualling will make a positive difference to Norfolk and the Eastern regions economy by improving safety, congestion, connectivity and journey times along the route."