A47 junction improvements at Necton between Swaffham and Dereham
To improve congestion and safety, we will be widening the junction openings in Necton at both Tuns Road and Dunham Road, refreshing road markings, and carrying out drainage work.
Removing the existing kerb
New kerb being installed
Preparing for Dunham Road widening
Modal with carousel
Removing the existing kerb
New kerb being installed
Preparing for Dunham Road widening
Latest updates
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13 March 2024
Work starting in March 2024
Since September 2023, we have been undertaking £2.2m worth of improvements on the A47 in Necton, to increase capacity at the junctions of Tuns Road and Dunham Road.
This work includes:
- Widening the junction openings at both Tuns Road and Dunham Road
- Refreshing road markings
- Drainage work including re-profiling ditches and putting in new gulleys
- New directional signs
- Upgrading to new LED lighting columns
- New electricity power supplies for upgraded lighting and existing weather station
- Road markings relating to new reduced 40mph speed limit.
We’ll be in the area again in March to do some sign work linked with this scheme.
We plan to complete this work over two nights between Wednesday 13 March and Thursday 14 March. We will work between 8pm and 6am, weather conditions permitting.
Closures and diversions
No closures are required, but temporary traffic lights will be in place.
-
25 January 2024
Planned road closures
Our work at Necton is progressing well.
Our re-surfacing work continues, and the project is on course to be completed mid February.
We do have some more work to do, however. In order to do our work safely, we need to close the road. We do that overnight during weekdays when traffic is at its lowest.
The road is closed overnight from 8pm to 6am.
Date/time
Details
3 January to February 2024
Weeknights only from 8pm to 6am
Closure of the A47 in both directions between Norwich Road roundabout, Swaffham and A1075, Dereham.
Diversion route
To carry out the work safely, we will need to close the A47 in both directions between Norwich Road roundabout in Swaffham and the A1075 in Dereham.
Whilst the road is closed, westbound traffic will be diverted via A1075, A11, A134, and A1065, before re-joining the A47 westbound at Swaffham.
Eastbound traffic will follow the same diversion in reverse.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused, and thank you for your patience whilst we work to improve the road.
Project information
Historically, there have been problems on the A47 at Necton, at both Tuns Road and Dunham Road, due to reduced visibility and difficulty in traffic making right hand turns.
To improve safety, we will be making £2.2m pounds worth of improvements at Necton. We'll be doing the following:
- Widening the junction openings at both Tuns Road and Dunham Road
- Refreshing road markings
- Drainage work.
The work will increase the traffic capacity at the junctions and reduce congestion into the villages.
Work will start on Monday 25 September, lasting until February 2024. The majority of work will take place on weeknights overnight from 8pm to 6am. There will be instances where we need to work 24/7 over weekends, where overnight work doesn’t allow us to complete certain activities in time. We will communicate those dates here.
Work is expected to take around five months, with the improved junctions set to fully reopen from March next year.
As part of this project, we are also planning to reduce the speed limit on the A47 in Necton from its current 50mph to 40mph. This requires a Permanent Traffic Regulation Order to be made, which is the legal mechanism for making these changes.
The process
This process involves an Order being published in draft, followed by a 21-day statutory consultation period. Once the objection period has passed, and if no significant objections are received, the Order can be prepared for final publication.
We are aiming to put this change in effect by Spring 2024.
Consultation is now open
The statutory consultation is now open. The objection period will run from 23 November to 14 December 2023.
A copy of the proposed Order, together with a location plan and a statement of National Highways reasons for proposing to make the Order, can be downloaded from the links below.
Alternatively, they can be inspected during normal office hours between 9.30am and 7pm, Monday to Friday and 9.30am to 4pm, Saturday at Dereham Library, 59 High Street, Dereham NR19 1DZ and between 10am and 7pm, Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm Saturday at King’s Lynn Library, London Road, King’s Lynn PE30 5EZ.
Alternatively, copies can be obtained by application to National Highways, Operations Division, Orders Section, Woodlands, Manton Lane, Bedford, MK41 7LW or by e-mailing OpsEastOrders@nationalhighways.co.uk.
We are working closely with Vattenfall and UK Power Networks to minimise impacts to the local community whilst their roadworks are also taking place. Through effective collaboration, we are able to minimise disruption, shorten the work timescales and share our traffic management.
We understand that this scheme will impacts on locals, particularly those close to our work site and site compound area. We’ll try to reduce that by:
- using specialist equipment to minimise noise, such as hydrogen powered temporary lighting and solar powered worker facilities within the site compound rather than generators
- Noise monitors installed to monitor noise levels throughout works programme
- using temporary noise barriers around the site compound and when the noisiest activities are taking place
- A ‘no idling’ policy in place for all plant and vehicles on site.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience whilst we undertake the work to improve the road.
Documents
Traffic information
Information about scheduled roadworks and events on our motorways and major roads.X
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