A major new link road in Great Yarmouth, which will cut congestion and boost the local and regional economies, opened to traffic this morning.
After a year of construction, work is now complete on the 1.1 mile single-carriageway A12/143 link road, which runs through Beacon Park business park and farmland, connecting Beaufort Way, just off the A12, in Gorleston, to the A143 Beccles Road, at Bradwell.
The new connection will improve traffic flows across the south of the Great Yarmouth borough and directly linking the A143 to Beacon Park, which is part of the New Anglia Enterprise Zone, targeted at creating new jobs in the energy sector.
The road was officially opened by Graham Plant, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Colleen Walker, the chairman of the county council's economic development sub-committee, and Brandon Lewis, Great Yarmouth MP.
Before cutting the ribbon Cllr Plant, said: 'This is an event of high significance for the borough and the region, making it best placed for future investment.'
'It goes to prove what working as a partnership can achieve,' added Cllr Walker.
The new road will also open up farmland immediately to the north and south of the route to be developed with 850 homes, a primary school and shops. Outline planning permission for the whole development, plus detailed permission for the first phase of 150 homes, has been granted to Persimmon Homes. Construction has already started on the first phase.
The £6.7m road, delivered by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, in partnership with Norfolk County Council, uses £4.7m of Government 'Local Pinch Point' funding, secured in a successful bid to the Department for Transport. Of the remaining cost, Persimmon Homes has contributed just over £1.4m and the borough council has covered just over £580,000.
In addition, the borough council invested a further £1.4m to build the new Enterprise Zone roundabout which ensures that the road opens straightaway and releases development land earmarked for a new retail centre, with full planning permission granted.
Other highways improvements as part of the project include a new shared cycle and footpath and three new roundabouts: one at the existing junction of the A143 with Belton New Road, and two along the link road to provide access to the new development.
In addition, the existing Beaufort Way A12 roundabout will be signalised to accommodate the extra traffic from the new homes, using £282,000 from Persimmon Homes and £318,000 from the borough council.
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