The first in a series of major road improvements to the A47 in the East of England has opened to traffic this week.

The A47 Guyhirn junction improvement is one of six schemes National Highways is completing along the 115-mile route between Peterborough and Great Yarmouth as part of a £450 million investment. 

The main work has now finished on the £17m scheme to enlarge the busy junction, which was previously the source of regular congestions with over 20,000 vehicles a day using the roundabout. The upgraded junction will improve safety, reduce journey times, relieve congestion, and encourage economic growth. 

National Highways Senior Project Manager for Guyhirn, Jonathan Donlevy, said: “Guyhirn is a key junction for people who live, work and travel in and around Cambridgeshire and Norfolk helping to connect communities in these rural areas. We’re excited that road users will now experience the full benefits of this upgrade.

“It is the first of a package of six projects we’re doing on the 115-mile stretch of the A47 between Peterborough and Great Yarmouth. Together, these projects will convert almost eight miles of single carriageway into dual carriageway and will improve key junctions along the A47 by the end of 2024.”

Galliford Try Project Manager for Guyhirn, Tim Walker, said: “We’re pleased to confirm that the improved Guyhirn Junction has opened to traffic. More than 120 staff have worked for over 110,000 hours to make this happen, and now we look forward to successfully delivering the rest of the A47 improvements.”

In addition to the Guyhirn scheme, three sections of the A47 will be improved to dual carriageway and another junction will be improved. In Norfolk the A47 will be dualled between Blofield and North Burlingham and between North Tuddenham and Easton, and in Cambridgeshire between Wansford and Sutton, while the A11 Thickthorn junction interchange will also be improved. Work on these projects is due to start in spring 2023.