A47 dualling project to be taken forward by Highways England

The decision was agreed by Minister for Transport Baroness Vere following a meeting with Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough James Palmer.

The meeting between the mayor and minister confirmed that Highways England will action Mayor Palmer’s request to fund and carry out a strategic assessment of the A47 between the A16 and Walton Highway, east of Wisbech.

Highways England has now appointed a project manager to drive forward the work, which it started last month and which should be completed by October.

Full dualling of the road is seen as important to improve economic growth across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, as well as reduce the number of traffic collisions.

Currently, there are plans to create a full dual carriageway on the A47 between Wansford and Sutton.

Mayor Palmer said: “We’ve always had a good case for dualling and I have been determined to get this done. We convinced a tough judge, with claims on the transport purse from all over the country, that this road is crucial to development across the East of England, and especially communities in the north of our own area which have missed out for decades on the infrastructure needed to loop them fully into growth and the prosperity it brings.

“We’ve achieved a major objective in the form of an actual partnership with Highways England and that’s an important first. Infrastructure schemes on the scale we want for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough need real muscle and to be integrated with other projects to create a truly linked-in and levelled up county.

“Partnership with the key players like Highways England, backed by the Department for Transport itself, is how we will put all Cambridgeshire where it wants to be,”

The work will use Highways England’s established Project Control Framework (PCF) process to review existing evidence, including that already delivered by the combined authority. It will also assess current and future network conditions and review and identify options for improving the A47 between Peterborough and Wisbech.

The review will also be informed by other road proposals including options for the A47/A1101 roundabout junction already being developed by Highways England.

The updated final PCF documentation is expected to conclude by October and will be submitted to the Department for Transport for consideration for further development work.