Press release

Work completed early as part of the A12 becomes the A47

Work to renumber a stretch of the A12 as the A47 to create a continuous trunk road has finished ahead of schedule.

皇冠体育app change sees what was the A12 between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft now become a part of the A47. This ensures that the A47 is a continuous trunk road from Peterborough to Lowestoft, while the A12 is a continuous trunk road between Ipswich and London.

Work started in mid-January and was expected to be completed tomorrow (Wednesday 8 March), but was actually completed last Wednesday (1 March). Most of the affected signage has had patches stuck on detailing that the road is now the A47 rather than A12, while signage that needed replacing now displays the new road name.

This has delivered on one of the commitments in the Government鈥檚 Road Investment Strategy, which will see a record 拢15 billion invested in England鈥檚 motorways and trunk roads, with 拢3 billion of that in the East of England.

Highways England project sponsor Steve Cox said:

Highways England is committed to ensuring that our work causes minimal disruption for drivers across the East of England, and we are pleased to have been able to complete this work early to ensure that is the case. This work now ensures that both the A47 and A12 are continuous trunk roads connecting our important towns and cities.

皇冠体育app renumbering follows recent improvement work to the A47 Acle Straight as the road passes through 皇冠体育app Broads, which saw improvements to traffic signs and road markings at the A1064 roundabout, Wherryman鈥檚 Way and the Halvergate junction.

It also comes ahead of consultations into major upgrades elsewhere on the A47 that will be start in 2020, with a series of consultations into these set for the public to share their views at to be launched shortly. 皇冠体育appse works will include:

  • dualling of the A47 between Norwich and Dereham
  • improving the A11 and A47 Thickthorn junction
  • dualling the A47 between Norwich and the Acle Straight
  • improving two junctions at Great Yarmouth, including reconstructing the Vauxhall roundabout

Martin Wilby, chairman of the Norfolk County Council鈥檚 Environment, Transport and Development Committee, said:

We support the work that Highways England has recently been carrying out in the east of the county and, like many people in Norfolk, are looking forward to their forthcoming consultation on the major improvements they intend to make to the A47. 皇冠体育appse upgrades to the A47 will make a huge difference to the county and its prosperity, and we鈥檒l be working with Highways England to do all we can to ensure they can get underway as soon as possible.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Updates to this page

Published 8 March 2017