Norfolk's A47 and A11 junction improvement scheme is approved

An aerial view of Thickthorn roundabout near Norwich which is to be upgraded

The transport secretary has approved a £161m plan to overhaul a junction on one of the country's most dangerous roads.

Improvements will be made to the Thickthorn roundabout, near Norwich, which straddles the A11 and the A47.

Work will begin next year and the redeveloped Thickthorn junction should be fully open to traffic by early 2025.

The changes will include free-flowing connections between the A-roads and extra lanes and pedestrian crossings.

A half-mile link road, with a 40mph limit, will also be built providing direct access to the junction from Cantley Lane South and Norwich Road (B1172).

A footbridge over the A47 will also be put in place around 45m (148ft) to the east of the current bridge, which will be removed.

The new bridge has been specifically designed to have higher railings for increased safety, particularly for horse riders.

A National Highways map of the proposed improvements to the interchange

National Highways' scheme was approved by the Secretary of State for Transport, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, with the granting of a development consent order (DCO).

This is a way of obtaining permission for a development which is seen as nationally important for the infrastructure of the country.

The granting of the DCO means preparatory work on the project can begin later this year with construction due to begin in early 2023.

Traffic modelling data shows the section of the A47 between Thickthorn junction and the Ipswich Road junction is used by more than 60,000 vehicles each day - making it one of the busiest stretches of the road in Norfolk.

The intersection between the A47 and the A11 is to be upgraded to ease congestion

The current A47 has one of the highest-recorded accident rates for an A road in the UK, National Highways said.

Following the redevelopment of the junction, casualty projections over the next 60 years suggest that as many as 26 fatal or serious injury collisions could be prevented with 242 fewer accidents.

This scheme is one of six major improvements National Highways is making to the 115-mile section of the A47 between Peterborough and Great Yarmouth.

The first of these - a £17m upgrade to Guyhirn junction in Cambridgeshire - officially opened in May.

"Increasing road capacity and connecting communities across the east of England will pave the way for economic growth in this part of the country," said Chris Griffin, programme leader for National Highways in the east region.