New Great Yarmouth A47 roundabout to open 'soon after 2025'

Plans to transform the Vauxhall junction were originally put forward in 2017 before being put on ice when the third river crossing was given the go-ahead.

Now it is expected the new junction could be ready in 2025, or "two to three years" after the opening of the new bridge, currently scheduled for May this year.

The report, prepared ahead of a meeting of Great Yarmouth Borough Council's (GYBC) economic development committee on Monday, January 9, states that National Highways has now employed consultants Mott McDonald and contractor Graham for the scheme.

In June, engineers completed surveys of the junction, inspecting the ecology, noise and landscape, allowing designs to be refined ahead of the planned improvements.

Currently, the preffered option is for an elongated roundabout without traffic signals, as well as a widened bridge over the railway line.

The scheme intends to increase capacity and reduce congestion at what is the main entry point into the town from the west.

The report, written by officers at Norfolk County Council, states: "The progress that has been made on Vauxhall roundabout since the consultation last December does appear to demonstrate a strong commitment from National Highways and government to deliver the scheme as soon as possible."

According to the document, the Vauxhall roundabout improvement will take longer to design and procure as it is "a much larger and more complex scheme" that requires bridge building over the railway line.

Expectation is the infrastructure could be in place soon after 2025, two years after the proposed opening of the third river crossing.

The roundabout will be compatible with a dualled Acle Straight.

For decades, there have been calls to dual that nine-mile stretch of the A47.

A project has seen rare snails moved from the dykes along the road to see if they can thrive elsewhere.

That five-year study will not end until sometime this year.

In the meantime, the government has yet to commit to including the Acle Straight among potential projects.

Harfreys roundabout

While work on the Vauxhall roundabout is still in the planning stage, construction on the Harfreys roundabout is expected to begin in February this year. 

The new junction should then open alongside the third river crossing in May. 

National Highways has entered into a contract with the county council to design and build the scheme.  

This is being carried out by council staff and the BAM Farrans joint venture that is 
building the Third River Crossing. 

According to the report, the project will "reconfigure the junction to be more efficient and favour the movement towards the third river crossing which will become the principal entry point into the town from the south when the new bridge is in place". 

The junction will be a modified standard roundabout that does not require traffic signals and will include improvements for walking and cycling.

The cost for both roundabouts is estimated between £25m and £50m.