National Highways’ £100 million project to dual a 2.6-mile stretch of the A47 between Blofield and North Burlingham in Norfolk in the east of England, is entering its final stages, replacing a single-lane carriageway with a new two-lane dual carriageway.
Only local road surfacing, cycleways and landscaping remain to be completed on the scheme, which National Highways says will reduce congestion and improve safety on the route.
To mark the project, a new bridge linking the villages of North Burlingham and Blofield has been named Knights Bridge, in honour of local campaigner Valerie Knights MBE, who lived nearby and spent years coming to the aid of motorists involved in collisions on the road before it was dualled.
Junction and safety improvements
Safety changes have been made at the Yarmouth Road junction at Blofield, where the right turn has been closed and a dedicated lane added to join the A47. The B1140 junction has also been transformed, with a new two-tier junction connecting B1140 South Walsham Road, north of the A47, with B1140 Coxhill Road to the south.
“With construction of the project in its final stages, the new dual carriageway will mean a less congested, much safer road which will open the area up to business,” says Chris Griffin, who is leading the Blofield project for National Highways.
National Highways is also installing new cycle paths linking North Burlingham and Blofield. The organisation has committed to no net loss of habitats or biodiversity as a result of the project, and says there will instead be a 40 per cent net gain in biodiversity, with new hedgerows and areas of woodland to be planted this winter, alongside scrub and grassland to increase habitats for badgers and reptiles. Local community groups have also benefited from more than £300,000 from the scheme’s designated funds pot, including new playgrounds and a dementia garden.
Bridge named after road safety campaigner
Mrs Knights, who lived at North Burlingham, campaigned for greater safety on the stretch of road for years before it was dualled. “Mrs Knights campaigned for greater safety on this stretch of road, and I know she would have been delighted to see the completion of the new dualling,” Griffin says. “It is only right and fitting that we name this bridge after her, which will stand as a lasting legacy to her selfless work helping more than 100 people involved in collisions here.”
Mrs Knights’ family gathered to unveil the sign on the bridge in her honour. “It is a really special honour for my mother to be remembered in this way but she would have been surprised as she quietly got on with things,” says her daughter, Carol Charles.
Jerome Mayhew, Conservative MP for Broadland and Fakenham, adds: “It will be a huge relief for local residents to see the new dual carriageway open, relieving congestion and tackling some of the safety concerns of the old road. Better road connections help our economy to grow and support local businesses.”
Community volunteering legacy
Mrs Knights had campaigned tirelessly for road safety measures and dedicated much of her life to the needs of others. After hearing about the Glaven Care Scheme, she set up a similar scheme in the Acle area. With support from local doctors, Acle Voluntary Aid started in 1978, with volunteers providing care in a crisis, including night sitting, shopping and transport assistance, and later developing a daycare and lunch club service at Acle Methodist church. Acle Voluntary Aid won awards from Whitbread, Great Yarmouth’s Rotary Club and Age Concern. Mrs Knights was made an MBE for her initiative in 1994.
More information on the A47 Blofield project is available National Highways’ scheme web page.
