Traffic queuing on the A11
Work to begin on A11 dualling on Norfolk-Suffolk border
By REBECCA GOUGH
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
11:50 PM
Work involved in dualling the last single stretch of the A11 will begin on Monday following a decision to bring part of the project forward from next year.
Preliminary work on the long-awaited dualling between Thetford and Barton Mills is set to begin early to ensure work to widen the last nine-mile stretch of the A11 starts on schedule in 2012/2013.
Prime minister David Cameron confirmed last month that the scheme would begin in the next financial year and the latest news was welcomed by campaigners who have fought for decades for the road’s completion, due in 2014/2015.
South West Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss who, along with West Suffolk MP Matthew Hancock and others, made sure the A11 remained at the top of the political agenda in the lead-up the government spending review last year, said she was “so excited”.
“I’ve been told that initial work is going to be started, which has been brought forward by a year,” she said. “It isn’t construction work but it’s going to be on-site preparation.
“If the work had been left longer there would have been no contingency in the schedule for bad weather or anything like that. I think this should give people confidence it will now be delivered on time.”
See tomorrow’s paper for more.
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18 comments
I agree with Peter: " that how we like it, that's what makes ‘Norfolk’ ‘Norfolk‘. If you want all that hustle and bustle move to one of the big metropolises."
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Gordon Smith
Monday, October 17, 2011
Peter, where did I say 'concrete over the lot of it', don't making things up. What's wrong with thoughtful & well planned development to improve areas? Any development requires investment in infrastructure which completing this duelling surely is.
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NorthCity
Thursday, October 13, 2011
There has always been a very vocal anti progress minority lobby in the county. Fortunately for the vast majority, who want good infrastructure, facilities , opportunity and a more properous future for our children things are changing. The "do different" attitude does us no favours in the real world. Do different usually means do worse, dont change dont improve, stay stuck in a time warp. The idea that the rest of the world has it wrong is so arrogant. On the roads issue, the idea that having a half decent road is somehow going to ruin the county is nonsense. Devon and Cornwall are beautiful counties yet they can be accessed by motorway. Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Yorkshire and other counties have many georgous towns and villages, all equally as good if not better than Norfolk has to offer, yet they are all have motorways running through .
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Abraham
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Great news (as would also be a complete NDR too) but I'll believe it when I see it......
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Scania
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Northcity There's plenty in Norfolk open yours eyes man, we have something very special something that not too many other places have and the likes of people similar to yourself want to concrete over the lot of it.
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chucky noris
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
and Peter, views like that sums up why there is so little of anything in Norfolk. There's little investment, industry or infrastructure because companies see how un-viable it's to access parts of Norfolk. Who is the 'we' you refer to? I certainly don't like Norfolk the way it's, lacking in modern 21st century design & development. The whole things seems to boil down to the older, entrenched generation wanting things to stay the same, worried about change as 'Norfolk is for them' and the younger generation wanting change and development. Am I wrong?
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NorthCity
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Paul that how we like it, that's what makes ‘Norfolk’ ‘Norfolk‘. If you want all that hustle and bustle move to one of the big metropolises. Personally I would have preferred a large impenetrable wall to have been built across the damned road.
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chucky noris
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
At least something is being done! Norfolk has been the forgotten county for to long
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Paul Haverson
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Hopefully they will also do away with those stupid traffic lights at Elveden. Only in Britain could such a ridiculous arrangement be allowed. To let a minor road have precedence over such a major road as the A11 is laughable. An under pass should have been built with slip roads. I used to be in highway design so know what I am talking about
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Paul Haverson
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Listening to Elizabeth Truss on the radio this morning it sounds if this nine mile stretch of dual carriageway will bring untold prosperity to all in Norfolk. I am getting a bit long in the tooth now but I don’t know how many times I have heard similar to this in my lifetime and look at where it has got us, In deepening recession and on the verge of bankruptcy. I am afraid it's another white elephant like the Great Yarmouth outer Harbour.
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chucky noris
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate to think how much of my life has been wasted queuing on that awful under capacity stretch of road. Many times I have travelled to and from the south , the midlands or the north and despite the horror stories re the M25 M6 M62 and other busy motor ways, the one piece of road that has delayed me the most and very regularly is the stretch from Barton Mills to Thetford.
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Abraham
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
At last! Hope they can do it much quicker than 2 and a half years, which seems ridiculous. Then get on with the A47, A140 and A146 next. p.s. well done to all those MPs who have been pushing this, and as for those like Richard Bacon who have done nothing they should be ashamed.
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john smith
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
2 years and 6 months to put in less than 15 km of dual carriageway seems extraordinary.
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Pink Duck
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Having queued last weekend for 20 mins to get both out and in of Norfolk, this development is a positive signal that we can move the local transport into the 20th century. More is required to get us into the 21st century, but this is "One small step for Britain, one giant leap for Norfolk"!
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BureValleyPaddy
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
I know several people that live in central Norfolk and to get a decent job have to travel each day along the A11 from Thetford to Barton Mills, all their money is spent in Norfolk. I also travel to other parts of the country but live and work in Norfolk and this upgrade will be a huge and long overdue, benefit - all we need now is an upgrade to the A47 especially from Norwich to Kings Lynn and perhaps then we will get some much needed investment in the county - of course we could just close all the roads and pretend the rest of the world is still flat or doesn't exist!
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Phil Bean
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
I live and work in the suffolk but regularly travel out of the region using the A11. This the best road out of the 3 to get out of East Anglia. I personally can not wait until they dual the bottle neck that is the Thetford - Barton mills stretch of road!!!!! The government wonder why all the industry has gone in this area, its because the roads are utter crap!!!!!!!!!!!!
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rebecca lee
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Should have spent the money benefitting local people instead of benefitting people who sleep in Norfolk and work elsewhere.
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expat
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
I am sure it will make the road free flowing and hopefully prevent further accident, but as for benefiting the local economy it will only make a minuscule of difference, almost entirely unnoticeable.
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John L Norton
Tuesday, October 11, 2011