People hurt in A47 crashes every 10 days on average over past decade
The A47 between North Tuddenham and Easton . Pic: Highways England. - Credit: Highways England
A crash on the A47 in which someone is hurt happens every 10 days on average, figures from the past decade have shown.
Since 2011, 11 people have died in crashes on the road, with 39 left with serious injuries.
The stark figures have been released by Norfolk County Council as leaders campaign to get more of the road dualled.
The county council has reignited the Just Dual It! campaign to get the road fully dualled, amid frustration at the slow pace of work in getting existing improvement schemes done.
While £300m of improvements, including changes to Thickthorn roundabout on the edge of Norwich and dualling of sections between North Tuddenham and Easton, plus Blofield to North Burlingham, were agreed in 2014, work has yet to start.
The Thickthorn roundabout on the edge of Norwich. Pic: Highways England. - Credit: Highways England
And, when the government announced more cash for road schemes between 2020 and 2025, Norfolk missed out, to the disappointment of council leaders.
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They are making the case to government again in the hope, chancellor Rishi Sunak will find money for the A47, which is managed by National Highways, formerly Highways England.
Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport. Picture: Danielle Booden - Credit: Danielle Booden
Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council’s cabinet member for highways, transport and infrastructure, said: “Safety should be the number one priority for any road but the A47 continues to regularly injure and, tragically, kill those who use it.
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"The economic case for dualling this road is clear but the case for safety is even clearer.
"I would therefore urge National Highways to treat Norfolk as it would any other part of the county and commit to improving our resident’s safety by dualling one of the region’s most important roads."
While full dualling is the long-term aim, priorities set by the A47 Alliance, of which the county council is a member, are the long-sought dualling of the Acle Straight, plus dualling of sections from Tilney to East Winch and Wisbech to Peterborough.
Businesses have welcomed the relaunched campaign, but the Green group at County Hall has said new or expanded roads always lead to an increase in carbon emissions.
