Dualling of accident blackspot A47 in Peterborough goes out to public consultation

Road users are being invited to share their views on plans to dual a section of the A47 in Peterborough.
Wansford on the A47  
Picture by Rob Howarth/Stella Pictures Ltd 07768 285551
20/02/2017 SPL-9599Wansford on the A47  
Picture by Rob Howarth/Stella Pictures Ltd 07768 285551
20/02/2017 SPL-9599
Wansford on the A47 Picture by Rob Howarth/Stella Pictures Ltd 07768 285551 20/02/2017 SPL-9599

There have long been calls for the road to be turned into a dual carriageway following a number of serious accidents in the past, including the crash in 2013 which killed couple Stephen and Samantha Durber.

Highways England announced its preferred route for upgrading the A47 between Wansford and Sutton from single to dual carriageway in August 2017, as part of a £300 million upgrade of the key route connecting East Anglia with the Midlands.

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The works are set to start in 2020, and finish a year later, with the scheme set to cost between £50 million and £100 million.

The Highways England proposalsThe Highways England proposals
The Highways England proposals

Following a previous consultation, the option selected will see a new stretch of dual carriageway built around half a mile to the north of the existing A47 at the western end, before crossing to the south at the eastern end to join the existing dual carriageway at Nene Way.

There will also be a dedicated slip road from the A1 southbound to the A47 eastbound to alleviate congestion at the junction, while at the opposite end a new bridge will provide access to Sacrewell Farm.

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Another bridge will carry the A47 over the disused railway line west of Sutton Heath Road. The new dual carriageway will continue along to the south of the existing road and connect in to an enlarged Nene Way roundabout near Sutton.

Once complete, this new one and a half mile stretch of dual carriageway on the A47 will create a continuous 10 mile stretch of dual carriageway from junctions with the A1 to the A16, northeast of Peterborough.

The dual carriageway section is expected to improve journey times by up to four minutes and halve the number of accidents that injure road users.

Highways England programme lead for the A47, Guy Lewis, said: “We used your feedback from the first stage of consultation we did last year to choose the best route for this new dual carriageway, which our studies have shown is needed for this stretch of the A47.

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“We hope road users participate fully in this next stage consultation too to help refine our plans for this investment and deliver the best road.

“People can take part in numerous ways, and we’ll be hosting several events for them to come and talk with the team in order to share their thoughts, concerns and feedback. This new dual carriageway is one of six schemes we’ll be doing to upgrade the A47 between Peterborough and Great Yarmouth, and it’s important that we get it right for road users and the affected communities.”

Junction improvements at the A141 junction in Guyhirn are also due to be carried out by Highways England.

You can take part in the consultation, which runs until 11.59pm on Monday, October, 29 by visiting: https://highwaysengland.co.uk/projects/a47-wansford-to-sutton-dualling, by e-mailing your response to [email protected], or by writing to FREEPOST A47 Wansford to Sutton.

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There will also be four public events at which you can have your say and speak to members of Highways England. These will be at:

. St Michael and All Angels Church, Nene Way, Sutton, Peterborough, PE5 7XD, on Saturday, September 29, from 11am to 5pm.

. Haycock Hotel, Wansford, Peterborough, PE8 6JA, on Monday, October 1, from 1pm to 8pm.

. Sacrewell Farm and Country Centre, Thornhaugh, Peterborough, PE8 6HJ, on Thursday, October 4, from 1pm to 8pm.

. St John’s Square, Exchange Street, Peterborough, PE1 1XB, on Saturday, October 6, from 11am to 5pm.