Motorists are now able to travel the entire length of the new 19.5km dual carriageway. The final 5.9km section of the £205M ‘Broadland Northway’ – known during construction as the Norwich Northern Distributor Road – became available for use from 6am yesterday morning.

 

The first two phases of the scheme were opened to traffic ahead of schedule last year, but recent wet and wintry conditions set the opening of the third and final stretch back from the end of March until this week.

 

Broadland MP Keith Simpson last week led parish, district and county councillors, and representatives of key stakeholders, in marking the project’s imminent opening (pictured).

 

The full route – constructed by Balfour Beatty for Norfolk County Council – runs from the A1067 Fakenham Road, north west of Norwich, to the A47 at Postwick, at the eastern end of Norwich Southern Bypass.

 

The scheme is expected to help long distance north-south traffic pass Norwich without entering the congested city centre, and provide road capacity to support expected housing and commercial growth to the north east of the city.

 

Norfolk County Council’s environment, development and transport committee chairman Martin Wilby described the road as “an important piece in Norfolk’s infrastructure jigsaw that will help secure a better, brighter and more prosperous future for Norfolk.”

 

But he emphasised that further investment in infrastructure is still needed. “We need to press the Government for the earliest possible delivery of improvements to the A47, and to keep focus on our goal of full dualling of the A47, from Lowestoft to the A1 and the Midlands,” he said.

 

“The County Council also has its own priorities: the Norwich Western Link – joining Broadland Northway to the A47 west of Norwich – Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing, and Long Stratton Bypass.”

 

The new distributor road includes eight bridges, nine main roundabouts, four side road roundabouts, one grade separated junction at the A140 and 25 drainage lagoons.

 

Although the main carriageways are now complete, work will be continuing on some drainage lagoons as well as verges, cycle tracks and bridleways, and tree and shrub planting.