19 August 2022
A47 dualling

Having been proud to play my part in securing from the Government a £300 million funding commitment to dual the North Tuddenham-Easton A47 stretch back in 2014, it is considerable disappointment that these works have been hindered by slippage and delay.

That’s why I, alongside parliamentary colleagues, the A47 Alliance and so many other partners, have actively lobbied ministers, officials and particularly Highways England/National Highways representatives in the years since – calling on Highways England/National Highways to get on and deliver these crucial works, in addition to the other A47 improvement works that were committed to as part of the DfT’s Road Investment Strategy 1 (RIS1).

I am delighted therefore to hear the recent announcement that the Secretary of State has granted the North Tuddenham-Easton project a Development Consent Order (DCO), which will now enable the detailed design plans to be finalised this autumn. I am assured that construction works should then begin in the winter/spring of 2023.

This is a significant step forwards for our area and I am determined to continue doing all I can to minimise any further slippage on National Highway’s part. I will also continue to support all those communities worried about the potential of increased rat-running during the construction phase (see more about my work on this here) and will continue to call for full dualling of the A47 (from Lowestoft in the East to the A1 in Cambridgeshire) so that safety on this key transport artery can be substantially improved, and the region’s full economic potential can be realised.

To learn more about all of my work on this to date, please visit my website here.