A47 North Tuddenham to Easton improvements

We’re upgrading the A47 between North Tuddenham and Easton in Norfolk to a dual carriageway. This will complete the dual carriageway between Norwich and Dereham, supporting economic growth and easing congestion in the area.

Start date 2023-24
End date 2026-27
Cost £100 million-£250 million

Latest updates

  • 28 August 2024

    Lane closures in September

    A47 between Albatross Road and The Street, Hockering, 12 September

    Change to previously advertised date

    We’ll be doing some improvement works to two field entrances between:

    • Albatross Rd and The Street, Hockering; and
    • land next to Blind Lane, Honingham.

    This is to enable us to create safe entrances which will allow large and slow vehicles to safely exit the A47 at these points.

    The work will take place between 8pm and 6am on Thursday 12 September.

    To allow us to complete this work safely, one lane of the A47 will be closed overnight with temporary traffic lights in place to allow through traffic.

    Please remember that closures can change at short notice. You can check the latest information on our daily closures page or find live travel information on our Traffic England. Our travel alerts give details of live incidents on our network.

     

  • 22 August 2024

    Early construction activities start

    On the 29 May, it was announced that the Supreme Court refused the application seeking permission to appeal the order made by the Court of Appeal on 22 February 2024, meaning all legal avenues had been exhausted.

    This meant that we were able to begin more of our early construction activities. This includes preparing the concrete foundations and posts upon which our structures will be built, including the new underpasses at both the Wood Lane junction and Norwich Road junction and the new River Tud crossing.

    We are also currently constructing drainage basins for the collection of water for use on site. Eventually, these will be incorporated into the drainage scheme for the new road.

    We have continued diverting utility services, completed archaeology works and finished our compound construction. With careful planning and environmental licences, we are now able to begin some vegetation clearance to enable further construction work.

    This means there has been a large increase in our activity along the whole scheme corridor and this will now continue right through our full construction period.

    Read more in our A47 newsletter.

    We’d like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by our work, and we will try to keep this to a minimum where possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

  • 19 July 2024

    Overnight work and closure of B1535, 5 to 10 August 2024

    We are carrying out site clearance work at the junction of the A47 and B1535 Wood Lane.

    The work will take place on weekdays from 8pm to 6am between Monday 5 August to Saturday 10 August 2024.

    Please remember that closure details can change at short notice. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our daily closures page.

    To allow us to complete this work safely, the B1535 will be fully closed, and a diversion route will be in place.

    We’d like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by our work, and we will try to keep this to a minimum where possible.

    Thank you for your patience and understanding.

  • 18 July 2024

    Updated: Overnight closures at Honingham, 10 July to 30 August 2024

    Due to the substantial rainfall experienced in recent months, the A47 at Honingham has flooded multiple times, leading to several emergency closures. 

    During June, a floodwater storage tank was installed alongside the A47 at Honingham in Norfolk. This large tank is part of a drainage solution to help prevent flooding which has previously closed the road in this area. The tank is 13.6m long by 3m wide, and will help to increase capacity of the existing road drainage.

    We are installing a second drainage tank in that location. To safely install the tank, we need to make lane closures overnight from 8pm to 6am from 10 July to 30 August, Monday to Fridays. Whilst we complete this work, there may be some noise disruption. 

    To install the second base and the tank, we also need overnight road closures on Sunday 4 August from 8pm to 6am, and overnight from Sunday 11 August to Wednesday 14  August from 8pm to 6am, weather permitting. Overnight lane closures will be in place weeknights until the end of August.

    Diversion

    Eastbound traffic will be diverted to the A47 Thickthorn interchange, then join the A11 southbound to Thetford/Mundford Road roundabout. At the roundabout take the third exit onto the A134 towards Mundford, then the A1065 to Swaffham, before rejoining the A47 at Fakenham Road interchange.

    Westbound traffic will follow the eastbound diversion in reverse.

    Thank you for your patience and we apologise for any noise and disturbance caused by our work.  

  • 09 July 2024

    Information events during July 2024

    We are holding information events between Monday 15 and Thursday 18 July. Please come and visit us at our National Highways engagement van if you are in the area.

    The events are taking place at the following locations:

    • Tesco, Dereham - Monday 15 July - 12 to 7pm, Kingston Road, Dereham, NR19 1WB
    • Norwich Camping and Leisure - Tuesday 16 July - 9am to 5pm, 58 Yarmouth Road, Blofield, Norwich, NR13 4LQ
    • Acle Co-Op - Wednesday 17 July - 10am to 6pm, Norwich Road, Acle, Norwich, NR13 3BY
    • Sainsburys Longwater - Thursday 18 July - 12 to 7pm, William Frost Way, Costessey, Norwich, NR5 0JS

  • 03 July 2024

    Lane closures and overnight work - 01 July to 19 July 2024

    Lane closure and traffic lights on the B1535 - 01 July to 12 July 2024

    We are carrying out site clearance work on the B1535 (Wood Lane).

    To allow us to complete this work safely, one lane of the B1535 will be closed between 9am and 4pm with temporary traffic lights in place to allow traffic to pass through the roadworks.

    Night-time work and road closure - 8 July to 19 July 2024

    We are carrying out improvement works to the field entrance on the A47 between Albatross Rd and The Street, Hockering. This is to enable us to create a safe entrance to allow large and slow vehicles to safely exit the A47 at this point.

    The work will take place between 9pm and 6am from 01–12 July.

    To allow us to complete this work safely, one lane of the A47 will be closed between 9pm and 6am with temporary traffic lights in place to allow traffic to pass through the roadworks.

    We’d like to apologise for any disturbance caused by our work, and we will try to keep this to a minimum where possible.

  • 14 June 2024

    Overnight work and road closures, 16 to 28 June 2024

    Due to the substantial rainfall experienced in recent months, the A47 at Honingham has flooded multiple times, leading to several emergency closures. We will be installing a tank to reduce the risk of flooding on the A47.

    In preparation for this work, we installed a concrete base which needed a number of days to set before we can install the tank on the Sunday 16 June.

    To install the base and the tank, the A47 at Honingham will be fully closed overnight from 8pm to 6am. From the 17 to 21 June, lane closures will be in place overnight from 8pm to 6am to allow access.

    Eastbound traffic will be diverted to A47 Thickthorn, A11 Barton Mills, A1065 to Swaffham. Westbound traffic will follow the diversion in reverse. See diversion map below.  

    Drivers should allow extra time during their journeys and should follow the diversion routes signposted.

    Until Friday 28 June 2024
    At times one lane of the A47 Honingham Roundabout will be closed overnight until 28 June, with temporary traffic lights in place to allow traffic flow on weeknights (from 8pm to 6am).

    We’d like to apologise for any disturbance caused by our work, and we will try to keep this to a minimum where possible.

    A47 at Honingham, 16 June diversion 

  • 31 May 2024

    The Supreme Court decision – permission to appeal refused

    On Wednesday 29 May, The Supreme Court ruled that an appeal against the A47 schemes should not go ahead. We will provide an update about the schemes in due course.

    We would also encourage you to sign up to updates to keep directly informed of scheme developments.

  • 23 May 2024

    Overnight work and road closures, May and June 2024

    We’re doing some further work on Norwich Road in Honingham to enable National Grid to divert existing cables. We'll need some road closures or reduced lanes to do the work safely. 

    Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 May
    We’re working at several sites along the A47 between the A1065 Dereham Junction and Honingham Roundabout, Norwich Road, Honingham.

    The whole route will be closed between 9pm and 6am from 29 to 31 May. This is to divert utility services, create safer entry/exit points onto the A47 at our site compound, and to carry out routine maintenance along the route.

    To allow us to complete this work safely, the A47 will need to be fully closed eastbound from Dereham A1075 Junction to Honingham Roundabout, and westbound from Honingham roundabout to the Mattishall Road entry slip road at Dereham.

    All side road accesses will be closed onto the A47. Residents living directly on the A47 will be escorted through the closure by traffic marshalls when access is required. Access routes for Emergency Services will be maintained through the closure.

    Monday 3 June to Friday 28 June 2024
    At times one lane of the A47 Honingham Roundabout will be closed overnight during June, with temporary traffic lights in place to allow traffic flow on weeknights (from 8pm to 6am). 

    We’d like to apologise for any disturbance caused by our work, and we will try to keep this to a minimum where possible.

    Sunday 9 June and Sunday 16 June 2024

    Due to the substantial rainfall experienced in recent months, the A47 at Honingham has flooded multiple times, leading to several emergency closures. We will be installing a tank to reduce the risk of flooding on the A47. In preparation for this work, we’ll be installing a concrete base which will require a number of days to set before we can install the tank.

    Due to further weather delays, the work to lay the concrete base for the tank was postponed. It will now be installed on 9 June, and the tank will be installed on the Sunday 16 June.

    To install the base and the tank, the A47 at Honingham will be fully closed overnight from 8pm to 6am. On the 17 to 21 June, lane closures will be in place overnight from 8pm to 6am to allow access.

    Eastbound traffic will be diverted to A47 Thickthorn, A11 Barton Mills, A1065 to Swaffham. Westbound traffic will follow the diversion in reverse. See diversion map below.  

    Drivers should allow extra time during their journeys and should follow the diversion routes signposted.

    Diversion maps

    Drivers should allow extra time during their journeys and should follow the diversion routes signposted.

    Eastbound diversion route between Dereham Junction to Honingham Roundabout, 29 to 31 May

    Westbound diversion route from Honingham Roundabout to Dereham Junction, 29 to 31 May

    A47 at Honingham, 9 June and 16 June diversion 

  • 19 April 2024

    Daytime work and road closure, Monday 29 April – Thursday 2 May 2024

    We’ll be doing some work on Norwich Rd, Honingham to enable National Grid to divert existing cables.

    The work will take place between 9am and 4pm from the 29 Apr 2024 – 2 May 2024.

    To allow us to complete this work safely, Norwich Road between the Mattishall Lane junction Honingham and the Honingham roundabout will be fully closed. A diversion will be in place via Berrys Lane

    We’d like to apologise for any disturbance caused by our work, and we will try to keep this to a minimum where possible.

    Thank you for your patience and understanding.

  • 11 April 2024

    Flood prevention work at Honingham

    Following several occurrences of flooding at Honingham last November, over 40m of new pipe has been laid and a portion of garden wall has been taken down and rebuilt. A nearby tree – which was causing root damage to the pipe – has also been removed.

    While this work has helped to improve the situation, National Highways understands the frustration for motorists when flooding occurs.

    Previously, measures were taken to mitigate flooding risks at Honingham, which included the use of HGV tankers to pump the water.

    However, an upcoming closure scheduled for this weekend has been postponed due to delays in the arrival of the bespoke tanks coming from Europe, where they have been manufactured.

    To continue progress on the flood prevention measures, preparatory work will be conducted this week and next until the arrival of the new tanks, which will require a subsequent closure for their installation as previously advised.

    We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused to local people. We will continue to monitor the situation and communicate via press and social media about the dates for the work.

  • 29 February 2024

    Overnight work and road closures – 5 to 8 March 2024

    We’ll be doing some site clearance work overnight alongside the A47 on the following dates:

    5 – 6 March

    Between Wood Lane and Hall Drive, Honingham

    7 March

    Between Wood Lane, Honingham and Church Lane, East Tuddenham.

    8 March

    Berrys Lane and Wood Lane, Honingham Junction

    The work will take place between 8pm and 6am on all four days.

    To allow us to complete this work safely, one lane of the A47 will be closed overnight with temporary traffic lights in place to allow traffic flow.

    We’d like to apologise for any disturbance caused by our work, and we'll try to keep this to a minimum where possible.

    Thank you for your patience and understanding.

  • 23 February 2024

    A47 schemes judicial review Court of Appeal outcome – Dismissed

    On 22 February, we received the outcome of the appeal against the Judicial Review Process for the three improvement schemes on the A47. 

    Three judges found that the Development Consent Orders (DCOs), previously granted by the Secretary of State for Transport, were properly assessed by the government for the cumulative effects of carbon, and will stand.  

    This means we can now begin work on developing our plans for the construction phase of the project and when we will be able to start work on the three schemes along the A47, improving customer journeys, enhancing safety and supporting economic growth in the region.   

    We will provide further updates on the progress of our plans and start of works in due course. 

  • 17 December 2023

    Overnight work, road closures and speed limits from 7 January to March 2024

    We’ll be installing traffic barriers alongside the A47 between Honingham Roundabout and the Taverham Road/Blind Lane Junction to protect the safety of our workforce who will be working on the footpath and verge. The work will take place between 8 pm and 6 am from 8 to 12 January 2024. To allow us to complete this work safely, one lane of the A47 will be closed overnight with temporary traffic lights in place.

    We’ll be doing some work on Honingham Roundabout for British Telecoms to divert existing cables. This work will take place between 8pm and 6am from 15 January to 1 March 2024. For safety, one lane of the A47 Honingham Roundabout will be closed overnight with temporary traffic lights in place. 

    We’ll also have a temporary 30mph speed limit on the A47 between Honingham Roundabout and the Easton Roundabout for the safety of our workforce. This temporary speed limit will be in place between from 9pm on 7 January 2024 until 1 March 2024.

    We’ll also be doing some work alongside the A47 between Church Lane and Berrys Lane, in Honingham. This is to enable us to install ducting for British Telecom cables.

    The work will take place between 8 pm and 6 am from 12 to 16 February. To allow us to complete this work safely, 1 lane of the A47 will be closed overnight with temporary traffic lights in place to allow traffic flow.

    We’d like to apologise for any disturbance caused by our work, and we will try to keep this to a minimum where possible.

  • 20 November 2023

    Overnight road closures, 4 to 8 December and 11 to 15 December 2023

    We’ll be making some improvements to Honingham roundabout, Norwich Road, Honingham.

    This is to enable us to create an exit which will allow large and slow vehicles to safely exit our site compound and join the A47 at this point.

    The work will take place overnight between 8 pm and 6 am weekdays from 4 to 8 December and 11 to 15 December 2023.

    To allow us to complete this work safely, one lane of the A47 Honingham roundabout will be closed overnight on these dates, with temporary traffic lights in place to allow traffic flow.

    We apologise for any disturbance caused by our work, and we will try to keep this to a minimum where possible.

    Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

  • 09 November 2023

    Update on the legal challenge

    A legal case heard in July 2023 had challenged the decisions from the Secretary of State for Transport to grant development consent orders (DCOs) for this and two other A47 improvement schemes near Norwich. The High Court judge, Mrs Justice Thornton, dismissed the claimant’s argument.

    However, on 18 October 2023, the Court of Appeal granted the claimant a right to have his appeal heard.

    We have been advised that the one-day hearing will be on 16 January 2024. 

    Allowing the appeal to be heard is disappointing, causing further delay to these schemes. This is a difficult turn of events for those of us who recognise and support the safety case to upgrade key stretches of this very busy road.

    As we have done throughout this process, National Highways will continue to respect the decision of the court.

    In the meantime, we are taking time to fully consider our next steps. This includes what work can continue at our sites to ensure the areas remain safe and with as little disruption and disturbance to those living nearby as possible.

    For the A47 Blofield to North Burlingham and A47 Tuddenham to Easton schemes, we have completed a number of preconstruction works such as archaeology, surveys and utilities. Our contractors are in place and we will be ready to re-commence works once the legal process is concluded.

    We remain committed to delivering these plans, and confident that they will provide significant improvements to both safety and congestion on the A47, as well as helping to boost the regional economy.

  • 28 August 2023

    Overnight work and road closures, 5 to 15 September 2023

    We’ll be doing improvement works to the field entrance near Mill Lane, Hockering. This is to enable us to create safe entrance which will allow large and slow vehicles to safely exit the A47 at this point.

    The work will take place on the A47 8pm and 5am from 5 to 8 September. To allow us to complete this work safely, 1 lane of the A47 will be closed overnight with temporary traffic lights in place to allow traffic flow.

    We’ll also be doing some improvement works to the field entrance near Honingham roundabout, Norwich Road, Honingham. This is to enable us to create a safe entrance which will allow large and slow vehicles to safely exit the A47 at this point.

    The work will take place on the A47 8pm and 5am from 11 to 15 September.

    To allow us to complete this work safely, 1 lane of the A47 and Norwich Road will be closed overnight with temporary traffic lights in place to allow traffic flow.

    We’d like to apologise for any disturbance caused by our work, and we will try to keep this to a minimum where possible.

    Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

  • 03 August 2023

    Update on the A47 Norwich schemes

    We have received notification that an appeal on the court’s decision to reject the claims in the judicial review of our three Norwich schemes has been submitted.

    What does this mean?

    The Court of Appeal must now decide whether to grant the claimant permission to appeal. National Highways will be taking all necessary steps to challenge the application. 

    Next steps

    To avoid any further delays, we can continue to carry out early works, such as archaeology, compound set up and utility diversions, on the schemes while we await the court’s decision.

    We stand by our plan to deliver these important schemes and remain confident they can deliver significant improvements to both safety and congestion on the A47, as well as providing a significant boost to the regional economy.

  • 07 July 2023

    A47 Norwich schemes – outcome of judicial review

    We have been informed by the High Court that the claims in the judicial review held on 10-11 May 2023 have been rejected, and found in favour of the Secretary of State for Transport.

    The judicial review challenged the decisions made by the Secretary of State for Transport in granting development consent orders (DCO) to three A47 road improvement schemes near Norwich.

    The news means that the DCO decisions for these schemes still stand. Among the main grounds for the legal challenges was how cumulative carbon is assessed by the government at a national level. This has been fundamentally rejected by the High Court on all grounds.

    We welcome the outcome, which means we can continue our work to deliver these much-needed schemes:

    • New dual carriageway and junctions between A47 Blofield and North Burlingham
    • New dual carriageway and junctions between A47 North Tuddenham and Easton 
    • Redevelopment of Thickthorn junction (where A11 meets the A47 south of Norwich)

    Next steps
    Work on these schemes has previously been limited while we were awaiting the outcome of the judicial review. Now that we have this clarity, we are working with our contractor to establish new construction timescales. We intend to start work on the three affected schemes as soon as possible.

    Face-to-face public information events
    Over the next few months, we’ll hold another round of face-to-face public information events. Come along to meet the team and hear about our construction plans at the following locations:

    Wednesday 26 July, 10am to 4pm at Norwich Camping and Leisure, 58 Yarmouth Road, Blofield, Norwich, NR13 4LQ 
    Thursday 27 July, 10am to 4pm at Acle Coop, Norwich Road, Acle, Norwich,          NR13 3BY 
    Friday 28 July, 8am to 6pm at Castle Quarter Shopping Centre, (near Starbucks) 100 Castle Mall, Norwich NR1 3DD
    Monday 4 September, 10am to 5pm at Tesco, Kingston Road, Dereham NR19, 1WB
    Monday 11 September, 9am to 4pm at Tesco, Ipswich Road, Norwich, NR4 6DZ 

  • 21 December 2022

    Update on the A47 legal challenges

    A legal challenge has been made to the Secretary of State (SoS) for Transport's decision to grant Development Consent Order (DCO) for our three A47 schemes:


    • A47 Blofield to North Burlingham
    • A47 North Tuddenham to Easton
    • A47/A11 Thickthorn junction


    The challenge mainly focuses on the way cumulative carbon assessments were carried out, along with local carbon plans, bat licences and the completeness of the briefings given to the Ministers prior to the decisions.


    On 14 December the High Court held an oral hearing for the claimant to put their arguments to a judge as to why the challenges should proceed to a judicial review. At this hearing the judge granted permission for a substantive hearing, mainly on the grounds of how cumulative carbon is assessed by government at a national level, so the case will now progress to a full judicial review.


    A judicial review is the process of challenging the lawfulness of decisions made by public authorities, including central government, so this will now decide whether the SoS acted lawfully. The challenge to the A47 schemes is not on the schemes themselves, but to the process of approving the DCOs.


    Delay to our schemes


    This means we cannot start work as soon as we had originally planned on the three A47 schemes and have had to delay the improvements our customers have asked us for.


    Our continued commitment


    We stand by our plans and remain committed to investing almost half a billion pounds on a series of improvements to the A47 the people and businesses of East Anglia have told us they want. These will make the road safer, connect local communities and deliver a huge economic boost to the region.


    Over the last three months we have held a series of public information events, attended by over 800 people, and the feedback from our stakeholders was positive towards our A47 schemes.
    We will now work with the Department for Transport, ahead of the case being heard in full.

    More information


    • Drive to reducing carbon emissions Net Zero Highways.
    • Commitment to no net loss of biodiversity across all projects by 2025 Biodiversity Plan.

    To make sure you know what’s coming up, sign up to our regular project updates by using the link on the right-hand side of this page.

     

  • 12 August 2022

    Development Consent Order given the green light

    Today we welcomed the Secretary of State for Transport’s decision to grant us a planning application called a Development Consent Order (DCO), which allows us to proceed with our plans to improve the A47 between North Tuddenham to Easton.  You can view the decision letter here. 

    The scheme will: 

    • Create a new dual carriageway to replace the existing single carriageway between North Tuddenham and Easton. 
    • Build two new junctions where the A47 passes over the existing local roads, one will be where Berrys Lane meets Wood Lane (Wood Lane junction) and one where Blind Lane meets Taverham Road (Norwich Road junction). This creates a more free-flowing and safer A47, with no access on to the new dualled A47 from local roads.
    • Remove the existing roundabout at Easton to create safer routes for walkers, cyclists and other vulnerable users.

    The improvements will:   

    • Provide a more reliable and integrated network for local communities  
    • Deliver a safer route for cyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable users 
    • Reduce congestion related delays, improve journey times and increase the overall capacity of the A47 to support economic growth  

    The existing A47 has one of the highest recorded accident rates for an A road in the UK. Traffic modelling data from 2019 shows this section of the A47 is used by over 25,000 vehicles a day.  

    The scheme will improve road safety by reducing the number of accidents and consequently the number of casualties. Over a 60-year timeframe, the scheme’s improvements could save up to 341 accidents and 64 killed or seriously injured (KSIs).    

    For more information on our DCO and to view our documents, visit the Planning Inspectorate website

    Keeping you informed  

    You can find out more about our plans and speak to our construction and project team at the following public drop-in events: 

    Friday 11 November 2022, midday to 8pm

    Heathersett Village Hall, Back Lane, Hethersett, Norwich, NR9 3JJ

     

    Tuesday 15 November 2022, 8am to 4pm  

    Co-op Acle, Norwich Rd, Acle, Norwich NR13 3BY  

     

    Friday 18 November 2022, 9am to 4pm  

    The Willow Centre, Willow Croft Way, Cringleford NR4 7JJ  

     

    Friday 25 November 2022, 10am to 6pm  

    East Tuddenham Hall, Dereham, Norfolk, NR20 3LR

     

    Wednesday 30 November 2022, 8am to 4pm  

    Waitrose Wymondham Norwich Rd, Wymondham NR18 0SH  

     

    Thursday 1 December 2022, 9am to 6pm POSTPONED due to venue double-booking* 

    Chantry Place, St Stephens St, Norwich NR1 3SH 

     

    Friday 2 December 2022, 8am to 5pm  

    Hay Hill Haymarket, Market Place, Norwich NR2 1ND 

     

    Friday 9 December 2022, 8am to 5pm  

    Castle Quarter Shopping Centre, Castle Meadow, Norwich NR1 3DD  

     

    Monday 16 January 2023, 9am to 6pm (*new date for previously postponed event) 

    Chantry Place, St Stephens St, Norwich NR1 3SH 

  • 14 February 2022

    Examination is now closed

    The Development Consent Order (DCO) examination for the A47 Tuddenham to Easton closed on 12 February 2022.

    The Planning inspectorate will now prepare a report, including a recommendation, within three months of the close of examination and send this to the relevant Secretary of State.

    The Secretary of State then has a further three months to make the decision on whether to grant or refuse the DCO.

    For more information on the DCO process, our application or to sign up for updates please visit our scheme page on the Planning Inspectorate website.

  • 21 January 2022

    Planning Inspector examination process

    The A47 North Tuddenham to Easton scheme’s Development Consent Order (DCO) examination started on 12 August 2021 and will finish on 12 February 2022. The examination process is explained on the Planning Inspectorate's website.

    The dates for examination can be viewed on the Planning Inspectorate’s Examination Timetable page.

    For more information on our DCO application and to sign up for email updates about our project, please visit the A47 North Tuddenham to Easton Planning Inspectorate’s web page.

  • 23 June 2021

    Planning Inspectorate acceptance of scheme submission

    We are pleased to announce that our Development Consent Order Application was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in March 2021 and was accepted in April 2021, allowing us to progress through to examination. The process is explained on the Planning Inspectorate's website.

    The Section 56 Notice notifies the public that the A47 North Tuddenham to Easton Development Consent Order application has been accepted for examination. View the Section 56 Notice.

    Members of the public were able to register to participate in the examination and provide a response to our application during the Relevant Representation period, which closed on Thursday 17 June 2021 at 23:59.

    Details of next steps for this scheme are available on the A47 North Tuddenham to Easton Planning Inspectorate’s web page.

     

  • 10 June 2021

    Ground investigations and surveys

    We’re continuing with some important surveys and ground investigations work in the area. These started in March and will carry on until October 2021. They will give us a clearer picture of the condition of the existing road, as well as types of soils, rock types and the ground water levels where we are proposing to upgrade the road.

    This work will help us start to plan the work safely and economically, ahead of the next stage in the project. However, this is not the start of construction.

    You can expect to see survey vehicles and equipment in operation close to Tuddenham, although some of the surveys will take place on private property such as farms and surrounding land.

    Types of surveys we’ll be carrying out:

    • Topographical surveys which are aerial surveys to understand the existing levels of the area.
    • Utility trial holes to identify the precise location of existing services and utilities.
    • Ground investigations to understand the existing environment and subsoil elements, in order to ensure the chosen design is a workable solution.
    • Road surveys which are a series of tests on the existing road to determine condition, depth and materials.
    • Surveys to understand the condition of existing bridges.

    Where survey work is due to take place next to residential properties, we will write to those residents in advance and let them know what is happening and when. We have advised landowners where we need access to their land. Some of the surveys will take place on the road, so we will need to make some lane closures to ensure our workforce is safe during the work.

    You can read more about surveys in our leaflet.

    Lane and road closures during the surveys

    Follow our regional Twitter and Facebook accounts at @HighwaysEAST for the latest updates.

  • 19 April 2021

    Plans to dual A47 between North Tuddenham and Easton move a step closer

    Plans for a new dual carriageway and junction improvements moved a step closer after Highways England’s proposals were formally accepted by the Planning Inspectorate for examination last Monday (12 April).

    Highways England is improving the A47 in six places between Peterborough and Great Yarmouth as part of a £300 million-plus investment, including the Norfolk section between North Tuddenham and Easton.

    The Planning Inspectorate will now start the process of a full examination of Highways England’s proposals before deciding whether to grant a Development Consent Order, which will help to inform the Secretary of State for Transport when deciding whether to give the green light for construction to begin two years hence.

    Highways England programme lead for the A47, Chris Griffin, said: “This stretch of road connects areas of growing economic activity around Norwich. The current layout of the road can act as a bottleneck, resulting in congestion and slower journey times. Our improvements will make shorten journeys while improving safety for the thousands of drivers who use this stretch of road daily, while also maintain connectivity and improving access for local residents.

    “The decision to accept our DCO application represents a major milestone for the scheme, not only for us as the project team but for all those who have supported this project over a number of years.”

    The preferred option for upgrading this stretch was announced in August 2017, and a statutory consultation was held last year that had nearly 700 responses. That feedback found that almost three quarters of people felt that road improvements were needed on this stretch of road, and that Highways England’s proposals would help reduce congestion and shorten journey times.

    Feedback received during a consultation in Spring 2020 refined the scheme design, which now includes an added underpass for traffic and pedestrians at Mattishall Lane, replacing the Church Lane underpass and link road.

    Changes to the Wood Lane southern junction into Dereham now reuses more of the existing A47, while the new River Tud Bridge has been altered based on feedback from the Environment Agency. A walking and cycling link was added from Honingham to St Andrew’s Church via an A47 underpass, while the Norwich Road junction was moved east to reduce the impact on the church, while maintaining farm access.

    The northern roundabout at the Norwich Road junction was changed removing the link to Church Lane, and a new walking and cycling route added between Easton and Lower Easton, replacing the existing one which crosses the A47. New embankments will reduce traffic noise, and an extra wetland drainage zone will provide a welcome boost for the environment by increasing biodiversity.

    Councillor Martin Wilby, Chairman of the A47 Alliance and Cabinet member for Highways, Infrastructure and Transport at Norfolk County Council, said: “The A47 is crucial for the economic prosperity of Norfolk, connecting Norwich to Peterborough in the west and Great Yarmouth in the east. Thousands of our residents use the A47 for commuting, for seeing family, for trading, for holidaying, and far more.

    “This package of improvements that Highways England will deliver along the A47 will thus be of huge benefit to not just Norfolk, but to the whole region, making journeys shorter and safer for our residents.”

    The Planning Inspectorate’s examination process will provide people with the opportunity to comment on the proposals in writing as well as the chance to participate in hearings. Following the examination, the Planning Inspectorate will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Transport, who will decide whether the project can move forward with construction. If the application is approved, work on building the road is due to start in March 2023.

    More information about the Development Consent Order process can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s website at www.infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/  

  • 13 April 2021

    Update – April 2021

    This scheme is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), which means it’s classed as a large, complex infrastructure project that benefits the entire country.

    To build the scheme, we need to seek permission through a special planning process and gain a Development Consent Order (DCO) from the Planning Inspectorate.

    We submitted our DCO application in March 2021. Our application was accepted by the Planning Inspectorate on 12 April, allowing us to progress through to examination. The next steps in the process can be found on the Planning Inspectorate's website.

    The application can be viewed here. You will soon be able to register to be involved in the examination process as an Interested Party. We'll update this webpage as soon as we have a confirmed date. 

    Details about how to have your say can be found in this video by the Planning Inspectorate. You can also read more about the DCO process in this booklet.

  • 18 March 2021

    Update - March 2021

    The statutory consultation on our proposal to upgrade the A47 North Tuddenham to Easton closed at the end of April 2020. You can still read the consultation brochure and additional supporting material in the Documents area below.

    We have been reviewing and considering the responses from the consultation and where appropriate, used the feedback to refine our proposed design. To keep you informed on the progress we’ve made since April, we have issued a project update for Winter 2020.

    We are still continuing conversations with key stakeholders as well as carrying out ground investigation and environmental surveys, which may feed into further design changes as our Development Consent Order application is processed. 

    The application includes a consultation report which features a summary of responses and describes which suggestions we were able to incorporate. This demonstrates how we have listened to feedback.

    Our Development Consent Order application has been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate and is available to view the Planning Inspectorate website.

  • 27 May 2020

    Consultation now closed

    We consulted on proposals to make the A47 between North Tuddenham and Easton a dual carriageway and create two new junctions.

    Our plans for the scheme have progressed since we announced our preferred route, following consultation with the public in August 2017. Route option 2 was selected, and amended, to address some of the key concerns raised by members of the public. This takes the proposed route away from the existing carriageway to the south of Hockering and to the north of Honingham before rejoining the existing A47 at Easton.

    We held a statutory consultation on our proposals, and this ran from 26th February until 30 April 2020. You can still read the consultation brochure and additional supporting material in the in the Documents area below.

    Now that the consultation has closed, we are reviewing all the feedback and producing a consultation report.

    We will then continue to develop the design and continue to engage with the community as our plans develop.

    We will also carry out further survey work, including ground investigations and environmental surveys.

Project information

Overview

The North Tuddenham to Easton section of the A47 connects key economic growth areas of Norwich. The current road is unable to cope with the high traffic volume and there are limited opportunities to overtake slower moving vehicles on this single carriageway.

To address these issues, we’re upgrading the A47 between North Tuddenham and Easton in Norfolk to a dual carriageway. This will complete the dual carriageway between Norwich and Dereham, supporting economic growth and easing congestion in the area.

We're also proposing to build two new junctions. The first junction will be at Berry’s Lane and Wood Lane, and the second junction will be located at Blind Lane and Norwich Road. Because of these additions to the side roads, the Easton roundabout will be removed. These improvements will better connect side roads into the new dual carriageway.

Find out more by viewing the detailed proposed new road layouts, which you can also find in the 'scheme design' section at the bottom of the page, or by watching our flythrough video

This project aims to:
• help sustainable economic growth by supporting employment and residential development opportunities
• reduce congestion and delays, make journey times more reliable and increase the overall traffic capacity of the A47
• improve road safety for all road users
• help the road cope better with incidents such as collisions and breakdowns, as well as maintenance and extreme weather

A47 North Tuddenham to Easton dualling - 26 February 2020 to 30 April 2020

A47 North Tuddenham to Easton dualling - 13 March 2017 to 21 April 2017

The Development Consent Order (DCO) process was established by the Planning Act 2008 and is used for certain large and complex schemes (including highway improvements) that have been designated as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) by the Government.

Development Consent Order – Requirements Register

Requirements are conditions that have been included in the DCO, which control how the project must be implemented (constructed and maintained). Implementing the DCO in accordance with these conditions involves completing consultation and approval processes that have been defined in the DCO. These processes are referred to here and in the DCO as “discharging” the requirements.

This Requirements Register is a live document and will be updated as the process to discharge the requirements progresses. 

This register will be maintained for three years following completion of the project. The register sets out:

  • each requirement
  • whether the requirement needs approval by the Secretary of State (or other duty holder)
  • whether any approval has been applied for or given.

Updated Register of Requirements for the North Tuddenham to Easton Development Consent Order

Documents

Traffic information

Information about scheduled roadworks and events on our motorways and major roads.

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