Roads minister suggests a decision on the A47/A11 Thickthorn roundabout is coming, following concerns over the project’s future.
The A47 and A11 meet at this junction. A revamp plan faced uncertainty earlier because Labour’s spending review caused the problem, affecting the junction’s future.
The project could cost £100 million. Labour claimed a huge financial gap existed, a gap that came from the prior government. David Cameron had promised funding in 2014.
Other road projects started main construction, but this one has not, creating doubt. The government stopped changes to Vauxhall Roundabout because officials thought it lacked value.
A local MP, Ben Goldsborough, spoke up. He asked the government to support Thickthorn, saying Norfolk’s economy needed good roads and that the junction needs upgrades now. He wants the government to visit Norfolk.
The roads minister responded in Parliament. She said the government supports economic growth and they consider many road investments right now. They approved four road upgrades recently. She hopes to share news soon.
National Highways started prep work. They hope to avoid later delays, as the plan includes a new slip road that avoids using the roundabout itself. This would help A47 traffic going east.