A417 missing link

A landscape-led highways scheme that will deliver a safe and resilient free-flowing road while conserving and enhancing the special character of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Our scheme will improve the connection between two dual carriageway sections of the A417 at Brockworth and Cowley.

Start date Early 2023
End date 2027
Cost £250 to £500 million

Latest updates

  • 02 October 2024

    A436 Air Balloon Roundabout to Ullenwood Manor Road overnight closures

    We'll be fully closing the A436 from the Air Balloon Roundabout to Ullenwood Manor Road overnight to install drainage, gullies and kerbs, and carry out surfacing and ducting work.

    The closures are scheduled to take place on:

    • Monday 7 October to Friday 11 October (inclusive) - 9pm to 6am each night
    • Monday 14 October to Friday 18 October (inclusive) - 9pm to 6am each night

    There will be a diversion in place using the A417, A46, A40 and A435.

    A417 Air Balloon Roundabout to the Highwayman Inn junction

    We’ll be closing the A417 southbound between the Air Balloon Roundabout to the Highwayman Inn junction to repair the safety barrier on:

    • Monday 21, Tuesday 22, Wednesday 23 & Monday 28 October, 9pm to 6am each night 

    There will be a diversion in place using the A436, A40 and A429.

     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 website. Our travel alerts give details of live incidents on our network.

    Barrow Wake car park closure

    Please remember that Barrow Wake viewpoint car park will remain closed until March 2025. This is so that we can build a new dry-stone wall to stop glare from vehicle lights. We're also installing drainage tanks under the carriageway.

    Local businesses will remain open as normal. 

    Other work happening in the area

    A417/A419 essential maintenance 

    We've now completed the five weekend closures recently advertised to complete essential maintenance work on the A417 and A419. This was separate from the A417 Missing Link scheme. Details of other maintenance works being carried out locally are provided on our maintenance schemes webpage. 

  • 18 September 2024

    Upcoming closures

    The A417 will be closed from the Brockworth junction (A46) to Air Balloon Roundabout between:

    • Monday 16 September and Friday 20 September, 9pm to 6am each night 
    • Monday 23 September and Friday 27 September, 9pm to 6am each night

    A diversion route will be in place using the A46, A40, A435 to A436.

    The A436 will be closing between the Air Balloon Roundabout and Ullenwood Manor Road from 9pm Saturday 21 September to 6am Sunday 22 September while we move the mini roundabout for the new alignment of Leckhampton Hill.

    There will be a diversion in place using the A417, A46, A40 and A435. 

    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.

  • 29 August 2024

    Work from August into September

    Overnight (9pm -  6am) closures on the A436 eastbound - 2 September for 14 nights

    We'll be closing the A436 eastbound overnight from the Air Balloon Roundabout to Crickley Hill from 2 September for 14 nights. This includes weekends.

    We need the closure for drainage work and for the changes at Leckhampton Hill.

    A diversion will be in place by the A417, A46, A40 and A435.

    Work continues at Leckhampton Hill

    Our work at Leckhampton Hill is going well with phases one and two now complete.

    Phase 3 - the final phase of work is taking place between Tuesday 27 August and Sunday 22 September

    During this phase you will access Crickley Hill via Leckhampton Road leading into Leckhampton Hill.

    The Crickley Hill entrance will be on the right-hand side, at the top of Leckhampton Hill.

    Please plan ahead and follow signed diversion route.

    Northbound diversion
    1. Continue on the A436 towards the Seven Springs Roundabouts
    2. At the roundabout, turn left onto the A435 towards Cheltenham
    3. Turn left onto the A40
    4. Turn right onto Thirlestaine Road
    5. Turn left onto the A46 Bath Road
    6. At the roundabout, take the first exit onto Leckhampton road, and follow down to Leckhampton Hill

    Map of phase 3 Northbound diversion.

    Southbound diversion
    1. Continue up Leckhampton Hill onto the Leckhampton Road
    2. At the roundabout, take the third exit onto the A46 Bath Road
    3. Turn right onto Thirlestaine Road
    4. Turn left onto A40
    5. Turn right onto A435 London Road, and follow to reach the Seven Springs Roundabouts
    6. Go over first roundabout and turn right onto the A436, continue to Air Balloon Roundabout to join the A417

    Map of phase 3 Southbound diversion

    National Star College, Crickley Hill and Cotswold Hills Golf Club remain open as usual:

    Crickley Hill

    From Tuesday 27 August to Sunday 22 September (phase 3), you will reach Crickley Hill via Leckhampton Road leading into Leckhampton Hill.

    The Crickley Hill entrance will be on the right hand side, at the top of Leckhampton Hill.

    National Star College

    You can reach National Star College by the approved diversion route - Leckhampton Road, A46 Bath Road, A40 and A435. This has been agreed with Gloucestershire County Council.

    Costwold Hills Golf Club

    You will reach Cotswold Hills Golf Club by the approved diversion route. There will be no access from the A436.

    Barrow Wake car park closure

    We’re building a new dry-stone wall that will stop glare from vehicle lights. We're also installing drainage tanks under the carriageway at Barrow Wake viewpoint.

    To do this, we need to close Barrow Wake viewpoint car park until March 2025. Local businesses will remain open as normal.

    There are alternative parking options for visitors, including Crickley Hill. Bear in mind that you may need to pay at some of these car parks.

    Plan of the Barrow Wake viewpoint closure.

    Progress update

    Our work on the project is progressing well. The civils work being carried out within the closures at Leckhampton Hill is on track to finish on time.

    In other areas, we’re continuing to prepare for the Stockwell Farm bridge. Dry-stone walling continues at Stockwell and Cowley. Work is also continuing at the Gloucestershire Way Crossing location, following recent concrete pours for the central piers.

    What’s happening at Crickley Hill and Shab Valley?

    If you’ve travelled through Crickley Hill or Shab Valley recently, you may have spotted our teams progressing earthworks in the area.

    That's because they’re using a rather impressive piece of machinery; a 90-tonne excavator with a 40-metre-high stitcher attachment which has been specially modified to carry out the task at hand. 

    Working with our supply chain partners Cofra, we’re installing over 40,000 vertical drains, some up to 20 metres into the ground. The drains will give residual water that’s beneath the surface a way out. By allowing it to escape, the drains will reduce the settlement period for earthworks from around 2-3 years to only 3-4 months, which significantly shortens the programme of construction for our project. 

    Vertical drains are traditionally used in flat areas of already free draining material such as sand or gravel. On this scheme, however, the drains are being installed on the hillside, so we’ve needed to create a series of small platforms which step up the 10% incline at Crickley Hill. This has been developed specifically for this project due to its unique topography. 

    Since we began these works in June this year, the team has installed over 8,000 drains, which is around 550 a day. If we continue at this rate, we expect it to be finished in December.  

    Out and about in the community

    Summer site visits

    This summer we’ve held five open days, giving members of the public the opportunity to tour our site and see how work is progressing across the scheme. Since the end of June, we’ve welcomed 324 people to site including local residents, businesses, community groups, councillors and MPs.

    School engagement

    We recently supported the Children’s Cake Bake in Bentham, raising money for local children in the area to subsidise summer holiday funds for days out.

    Members of our team also volunteered at Coberley School, where we painted inside and out, renovated a vegetable garden, re-built a nature garden, and removed old unused equipment.

    Shurdington Village fete

    We also got involved in the Shurdington Village fete donating vouchers for a prize in the tombola. We hope everyone had a great time at the fete.

    A417/A419 essential maintenance

    We’re carrying out maintenance on the A417 and A419 separate from the A417 Missing Link scheme. This work is essential to keep the concrete carriageway safe and reliable for drivers. This work will be carried out in phases during weekends to minimise disruption. You can find out more on our South West maintenance webpage

  • 31 July 2024

    Progress through Summer

    We're making good progress.

    We've completed our advanced archaeological excavation phase. Oxford Cotswold Archaeology will remain on site monitoring groundworks into 2027.

    We’ve completed foundation piling works at Shab Valley and have laid drainage mats at Grove Farm ready for further work.

    We’ve also started the foundations for the Stockwell overpass and currently building the support columns for the Gloucestershire Way Crossing.

    To do our work, we'll need to make some road closures. Please remember that closure details can change at short notice. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our daily closures page.

    Barrow Wake car park closure

    We’re building a new dry-stone wall that will stop glare from vehicle lights. We're also installing drainage tanks under the carriageway at Barrow Wake viewpoint.

    To do this, we need to close Barrow Wake viewpoint car park until March 2025. Local businesses will remain open as normal.

    There are alternative parking options for visitors, including Crickley Hill. Bear in mind that you may need to pay at some of these car parks.

    Plan of the Barrow Wake viewpoint closure.

    Full closure of Leckhampton Hill

    We're closing Leckhampton Hill from August to late September.

    We’ve phased our work to minimise disruption as much as possible. There'll be no closures in the first phase of our work around Ullenwood cricket club.

    Phase 2 - to late August 2024

    We're closing Leckhampton Hill just past Crickley Hill to the junction of Ullenwood Manor Road.

    You won't be able to access Ullenwood Manor Road from the A436. There'll be a hard closure at this point to stop rat running past National Star College. Gloucester County Council has approved this.

    Northbound diversion

    1. Continue on the A436 towards the Seven Springs Roundabouts
    2. At the roundabout, turn left onto the A435 towards Cheltenham
    3. Turn left onto the A40
    4. Turn right onto Thirlestaine Road
    5. Turn left onto the A46 Bath Road
    6. At the roundabout, take the first exit onto Leckhampton road, and follow down to Leckhampton Hill

    Map of phase 2 Northbound diversion.

    Southbound diversion

    1. Continue up Leckhampton Hill onto the Leckhampton Road
    2. At the roundabout, take the third exit onto the A46 Bath Road
    3. Turn right onto Thirlestaine Road
    4. Turn left onto A40
    5. Turn right onto A435 London Road, and follow to reach the Seven Springs Roundabouts
    6. Go over first roundabout and turn right onto the A436, continue to Air Balloon Roundabout to join the A417

    Map of phase 2 Southbound diversion

    Phase 3 - late August to late September 2024

    We're closing the road from the new temporary roundabout at the Leckhampton Hill junction to the entrance of Crickley Hill.

    Northbound diversion

    1. Continue on the A436 towards the Seven Springs Roundabouts
    2. At the roundabout, turn left onto the A435 towards Cheltenham
    3. Turn left onto the A40
    4. Turn right onto Thirlestaine Road
    5. Turn left onto the A46 Bath Road
    6. At the roundabout, take the first exit onto Leckhampton road, and follow down to Leckhampton Hill

    Map of phase 3 Northbound diversion.

    Southbound diversion

    1. Continue up Leckhampton Hill onto the Leckhampton Road
    2. At the roundabout, take the third exit onto the A46 Bath Road
    3. Turn right onto Thirlestaine Road
    4. Turn left onto A40
    5. Turn right onto A435 London Road, and follow to reach the Seven Springs Roundabouts
    6. Go over first roundabout and turn right onto the A436, continue to Air Balloon Roundabout to join the A417

    Map of phase 3 Southbound diversion

    Crickley Hill

    Access to Crickley Hill will remain open at all times.

    Phase 2

    You’ll be able to access Crickley Hill via Leckhampton Hill adjacent to the Air Balloon Roundabout.

    You won't be able to access by Leckhampton Hill from Ullenwood Manor Road.

    Phase 3

    You'll be able to access Crickley Hill via Leckhampton Road leading into Leckhampton Hill. The Crickley Hill entrance will be on the right hand side, at the top of Leckhampton Hill.

    National Star College

    National Star College will be open as usual

    During closures, visitors can reach the college by the approved diversion route by Leckhampton Road, A46 Bath Road, A40 and A435. 

    Cotswold Hills Golf Club

    Cotswold Hills Golf Club will remain open as usual and can be reached by the approved diversion route.

    There will be no access from the A436.

  • 16 July 2024

    Go behind-the-scenes on the A417 missing link

    Come and see how construction is progressing at one of our exclusive open days being held this summer:

    • Thursday 25 July, 1pm to 3pm
    • Thursday 8 August, 10am to 12 noon
    • Thursday 22 August, 10am to 12 noon
    • Thursday 29 August, 1pm to 3pm
    • Thursday 5 September, 10am to 12pm

    During the visit, you’ll be able to see first hand the construction of the new environmental bridge called the Gloucestershire Way Crossing, catch up on the latest developments on the scheme and ask the team any questions you may have.

    To book your place, send your name and email address along with your preferred date and the number of places you require to: A417MissingLink@nationalhighways.co.uk with A417 Summer Site Visits in the subject line. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

    As this is a fully operational working site, no children under the age of five can take part in these visits, however we are planning to organise a family day soon.

    Visitors at A417 missing link site

  • 28 February 2024

    Project reaches next major milestone

    We’re just about to start the next stage of major construction which will see earthworks start to excavate a new section of road from the Air Balloon roundabout. We’re doing this away from the existing route to minimise disruption as much as possible. You may have already seen the team carrying out earthworks which was for our new compound and car park area.

    We’ll be storing and then repurposing all the materials removed from the landscape throughout the build, helping to minimise the scheme’s carbon footprint and the impact on the environment.

  • 31 January 2024

    A look ahead to 2024

    This January, we’ve been continuing with our preliminary works. As well as building a new site entrance close to the Air Balloon roundabout, we’ve been busy widening a section of carriageway on the A417 so that we can keep traffic moving more smoothly during the next phase of construction.

    In April, we'll be ready to start building the new section of the A417. This section is to the south and east of the Air Balloon roundabout and is referred to as ‘offline’ as it is away from the existing road network.

    Connecting Parishes

    Improving connectivity doesn’t just apply to the road! Connecting Parishes is a project that National Highways is working on, together with Gloucestershire County Council and the Gloucestershire Local Access Forum, to improve connectivity and accessibility of the Public Rights of Way (PRoW) near the A417.

    How is the project being funded?

    This project has received Designated Funding from National Highways’ ‘Users and Communities’ fund, which aligns with the ‘Walkers, Cyclists and Horse Riders and Communities’ themes. The purpose of these funding streams is to build new infrastructure and enhance existing facilities to encourage sustainable, non-motorised forms of transport.

    What is Connecting Parishes?

    The Connecting Parishes project seeks to reconnect PRoW between neighbouring parishes and the Cotswolds Way, which were previously severed by the Strategic Road Network.

    There will be a core focus on improving active travel, ensuring there are more accessible and safer active travel options which will enhance local connectivity for communities and allow more people to enjoy the Cotswolds National Landscape (formerly known as the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty).

    Working with Gloucestershire County Council, who are leading on delivering these projects, Connecting Parishes consists of 18 different sections of Public Rights of Way which will link into the Air Balloon Way, the Cotswold Way or other promoted routes.

    You may have noticed some work has already started. If these works have impacted you, we’d like to thank you for your patience and understanding while we deliver this important project, which will offer many benefits to local people and visitors. We’ll share more updates with you and photos as the project progresses.

  • 08 January 2024

    Digging for Britain feature

    We’ve started off 2024 with some exciting news as the A417 Missing Link project is featured in the new series of Digging for Britain. The eleventh series of the popular TV programme went live on BBC iPlayer on the 2 January and the episode that features the project aired live on the 4 January.

    The project features in episode 3 at around 48 minutes in. We hope you enjoy watching it and find it as fascinating as us! This is just a small part of the important preparatory work we’ve been busy doing. You can watch the episode here. 

  • 21 December 2023

    Air Balloon pub demolition complete

    As you may have seen, demolition of the Air Balloon pub has now been completed. This was a necessary step to make way for the new A417 Missing Link road, which we will start to build early in the new year. 

    We understand how many of you value the history of the pub and, recognising that it was named after one of the first British balloon flights, we’re proposing to call a section of the repurposed A417, the Air Balloon Way. 

    We’re also planning to reuse as much of the building materials as possible and are exploring the possibility of using some of it to create installations and outdoor furniture for the local area that celebrate its cherished history. We already have a local carpenter lined up to make some benches that will eventually be located on the new and improved walking, cycling and horse riding network for all to enjoy. 

    We’ve started to clear vegetation in preparation for the next phase of construction. All vegetation clearance is being done sensitively, under the watchful eye of an independent arboricultural clerk of works. Site-wide inspections of trees and vegetation, ecological surveys and mitigation to protect trees and local bat populations were done prior to this work commencing. Wherever possible we will be replacing lost vegetation and trees, which will over time help screen the new road and create new habitats and habitat connections for native wildlife to flourish. 

  • 01 December 2023

    Seal of approval paves way for main construction

    We’ve been working hard behind the scenes with local authorities and statutory bodies to ensure that planning conditions (requirements), as set out in our Development Consent Order, are met and signed-off (discharged) by the Secretary of State for Transport ahead of main construction. 

    A key milestone for the project, this task has now been completed and means we can start the main build in early 2024.  

    As we move towards this next phase you will start to see vegetation clearance along the route, which is being carried out under the watchful eye of a specialist clerk of works.

    Secretary of State speaks about the scheme 

    In this short video, Rt Hon Mark Harper MP talks about the A417 Missing Link project during his recent visit to site. The Secretary of State is joined by Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, CEO National Highways Nick Harris, Project Director Kevin Jones and Environmental Laad Kris Atkins.

    What’s happening next?  

    Take a moment to watch this new animation video which explains how we are phasing construction of the A417 Missing Link. 

    Success as project secures prestigious NIPA award 

    We’re delighted to share that the A417 Missing Link project has been named winner of the National Infrastructure Planning Association (NIPA) Infrastructure Award 2023. The award recognises best practice for planning, design, development and delivery of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. Commendations were given for “genuinely listening to stakeholders and changing design accordingly”. 

    The success of this project, through preliminary design, planning and Development Consent, has only been possible thanks to our stakeholders and the collaborative relationships we have with you.  

    Our shared goal has been to deliver much needed improvements to tackle the long-standing congestion and safety issues on this road, whilst conserving and enhancing the special character of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  

    A huge thank you goes to the local MPs, Cotswolds National Landscape, National Trust, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, our colleagues at Gloucestershire County Council, Cotswold District Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council, landowners and local communities. Every one of our stakeholders and partners has been key to shaping the scheme and its landscape-led vision. 

    We will continue to engage, keep you informed and ask for your support as we move through the construction phase. 

    NIPA award

  • 20 September 2023

    Supporting UK bat species along the A417 Missing Link

    Converting a World War II bunker for wildlife is just one of the innovative measures National Highways is taking to help support UK species of bats that have made their home in Gloucestershire.   

    The converted structure will be home to the Lesser Horseshoe, Brown Long Eared and other species of bats.  

    National Highways is also installing bat boxes in suitable habitat across the scheme, which although not obvious to passing motorists, provide vital homes for the bats.  

    In addition, ecologists will utilise a widely used and accepted tree aging technique for young trees and create roosts that mimics crevices only found on older more mature trees.  

    Three other bat structures will also be created as part of the scheme, and we will plant trees, hedges, woodland and grasslands to improve their foraging habitats. 

    To ensure local bat populations are properly supported during the build, we’ve got a team of Ecologists on site at all times to ensure these mitigation measures are implemented correctly. 

    Work on the scheme goes beyond bats though, with ecologists continuing to relocate reptiles away from construction areas including baby common lizards, slow worms, Roman snails and adders.

    WWII bat house

    Caption: The converted World War II bunker, which will eventually be covered by vegetation and hidden from sight, is one innovative way National Highways is helping to support bats and wildlife

  • 16 May 2023

    Preparatory work well under way

    For those living locally or using the A417, you will have noticed lots of activity going on near the Air Balloon roundabout and Fly-up 417 Bike Park. You will have also noticed that we’ve set-up several small site offices, which include welfare facilities for the ecologists and archaeologists working on site.  

    All of this activity is part of the preparatory work we are doing ahead of construction in the autumn. 

    Our team of archaeologists are currently working at six locations in the area, and since the end of February, have removed approximately 8000 cubic metres of soil in their search for historical features and artefacts that can tell us more about the area and the people that once lived there. 

    We’ve also got ecologists on site who have been prepping archaeological research areas before work starts, for example putting up retile fencing to keep them away from work areas, checking for ground nesting birds and installing kite hawks to discourage skylarks from landing on site. These measures are ensuring local wildlife is protected.   

    Birdlip and the surrounding area is rich in history: the existing A417 largely follows the former Roman road between Cirencester and Gloucester and Birdlip itself is a historical Roman settlement. Picture shows topsoil being stripped from archaeological research areas. 

  • 16 November 2022

    Scheme gets the go-ahead

    We’re delighted that Transport Minister Huw Merriman MP has today approved this landscape-led highways scheme that will deliver a safe and resilient free-flowing road while conserving and enhancing the special character of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  

    We would like to thank everyone who has provided feedback and helped shape this vital scheme, which will improve the connection between two dual carriageway sections of the A417 at Brockworth and Cowley, and links between the M4 and M5, making it safer and reducing traffic congestion and the knock-on effect of rat running in local villages.

    The Minster’s long-awaited decision means we can now take action to improve this much needed stretch of road. Our Chief Executive, Nick Harris welcomes the news and explains what it means for local people.

    To help you visualise the new road, see our latest fly-through animation.

    We now enter a six-week judicial review period, but we will continue to work closely with our stakeholders and move this project forward during this time.

    You can view the official decision letter, granting the scheme approval, on the Planning Inspectorate's website.

  • 29 June 2022

    School pupils dig visit from National Highways staff

    Our project team and representatives from Cotswold Archaeology took time out to visit Birdlip Primary School, where year 3 and 4 pupils got the chance to chat to the team about their jobs, plans to improve journeys between Brockworth bypass and Cowley roundabout and see what finds have been dug up along the route, which used to be the home to Romans.

    One item discussed was an almost 2,000-year-old figurine depicting Cupid, the Roman God of love, which was discovered along with a bow-shaped brooch, and a Roman or early Saxon skeleton.

    The items were found along the proposed 3.4 mile stretch of the new A417 Missing Link route and go some way to showing what life in the area was like thousands of years ago.

    The Cupid figurine is a rare find, with less than 50 known in the UK, and is one of only three that have been found as part of an archaeological dig as opposed to by metal detectorists.

    Made of solid bronze with wings and holding a flaming torch, the figurine was discovered in a deposit of charcoal, suggesting it could be an offering to the Gods.

    Pupils at Birdlip School

    Andrew Milner, Executive Head Teacher from Birdlip Primary School, said: “This was a wonderful opportunity to study the A417 Missing Link in depth. The children engaged with the archaeology to find out exactly what came before the road and then where the new road will go and how it will look. The team took the time to answer all the questions fully, in a way that was relevant to the children and the staff who turned up.”

  • 29 June 2021

    Development Consent Order application accepted for examination

    We are pleased to confirm that our proposals for the A417 Missing Link have been accepted by the Planning Inspectorate for formal examination.

    This signifies a huge step towards delivering a landscape-led highways scheme that will provide a safe and resilient free-flowing road while conserving and enhancing where possible the special character of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

    Thank you to everyone who has supported us getting to this point, providing your feedback to help us shape the scheme.

    Next steps

    The Planning Inspectorate will now examine the Development Consent Order (DCO) application through written representation and public hearings. They will then review all the evidence and make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Transport, who has the final decision on whether the scheme should go ahead.

    The examination and decision-making process will take over a year. You can find our more information about this process and how to get involved on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

    Our application

    You can now view our full application on the Planning Inspectorate’s website and you’ll also find a few bits of useful information below.

Project information

Overview

The A417/A419 provides an important route between Gloucester and Swindon that helps connect the Midlands/North to the South of England. It's an alternative to the M5/M4 route via Bristol. The Missing Link itself is a three-mile stretch of single-lane carriageway on the A417 between the Brockworth bypass and Cowley Roundabout in Gloucestershire.

The Missing Link causes many problems for road users and those who live or work in the area. Congestion can be frequent and unpredictable, so some motorists divert onto local roads to avoid tailbacks. This causes difficulties for neighbouring communities and local roads that were not built to accommodate so much traffic. Poor visibility and other factors also mean that accidents, many of which are serious, occur frequently along this section of road.

We’re improving the A417 with a scheme that includes:

  • 4 miles of new dual carriageway connecting the existing A417 Brockworth bypass with the existing A417 dual carriageway south of Cowley
  • a section to the west of the existing Air Balloon roundabout that will follow the existing A417 corridor. However, the section to the south and east of the Air Balloon roundabout will be offline, away from the existing road corridor
  • a new junction at Shab Hill, providing a link from the A417 to the A436 towards Oxford and into Birdlip
  • a new junction near Cowley, to replace the existing Cowley Roundabout
  • the existing A417 between the Air Balloon roundabout and the Cowley Roundabout is being repurposed. We are converting some lengths of this existing road into a route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders, while retaining other sections to maintain local access for residents.

A!& missing link scheme map

Click on image to enlarge

Next steps

We’re now in our offline construction phase of the scheme. This means that we're mainly working away from the existing road network.

The earthworks we've carried out  in 2024 have allowed us to lay the foundations of the new bridges. We've also started piling works at numerous areas. Piling means using a specialist drilling rig to install foundations, posts and walls.

We’ve also started on Cowley junction, where we're building a new section of the A417. This is why we've introduced the Cowley Roundabout contraflow system that will be in place until 2027.

Upcoming milestones include:

  • starting work on the Stockwell overbridge
  • continuing work on seven kilometres of new Cotswold drystone walling. This wall will minimise the visual impact of the road and reduce noise

As we work, we’re  monitoring wildlife in the area, including bats, birds, reptiles and badgers.

Our scheme is due to open for traffic in Spring 2027. However, we'll be finishing planting and landscaping up to the end of 2027.

We'll update this page as work continues.

Our scheme to improve the A417 Missing Link will bring significant benefits to the local area. Before we began construction, we spoke to residents, local businesses and political leaders to find out the problems they face and how our scheme could benefit the south west. 

Our scheme has four key objectives:

Transport and safety

Reducing delays, creating a free-flowing road network and improving safety along this stretch of the A417

Environment and heritage

Reducing the impact on the landscape, natural and historic environment of the Cotswolds. Where possible, enhancing the surrounding environment

Community and access

Reducing queuing traffic and pollution. Improving access for local people to the strategic road network. Supporting residents and visitors’ enjoyment to the countryside

Economic growth

Helping boost growth and prosperity by making journeys more reliable and improving connectivity.

Documents

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.

The Secretary of State for Transport granted development consent for the A417 Missing Link Development Consent Order (DCO) on 16 November 2022. Links to key DCO documentation can be found below:

The made DCO is Statutory Instrument 2022 No. 1248 and is available to view at legislation.gov.uk.

Development Consent Order – Requirements Register

Requirements are conditions that have been included in the DCO, these control how the project must be implemented (constructed and maintained). Implementing the DCO in accordance with these conditions involves completing 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.

The latest version will always be published below:

View the Requirements Register

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

Traffic information

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

Sign up for updates!

Keep up to date with what's happening on this scheme by signing up to our updates.

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