UK A47/A11 Thickthorn Junction Upgrade Advances as New Bridge Enters Lifting Phase

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 18, the UK A47/A11 Thickthorn Junction upgrade project entered the lifting phase for a new bridge. National Highways plans to close the A11 in both directions between Thickthorn Junction and Wymondham from 8 pm on September 18 to 6 am on September 21, using large cranes to lift the new bridge segments into place. The new bridge will carry the future Cantley Lane Link Road, connecting Cantley Lane South with the B1172 Norwich Road.

The project is located at the junction of the A47 and A11 south of Norwich. National Highways has announced a total project cost range of £216 million to £239 million, with a construction period running from the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year to the 2028/29 financial year. Skanska is responsible for the main construction works, with a contract value of approximately £153 million.

The overall transformation will add two free-flow link roads. One single-lane link road will channel A11 northbound traffic directly onto the A47 eastbound, bypassing the existing Thickthorn roundabout via two new underpass structures beneath the A11 and A47. The works also include widening the A47 westbound exit slip road, building a new separate free-flow lane onto the A11 southbound, and expanding the south side of the roundabout from 3 lanes to 4 lanes.

The local road network will be adjusted accordingly. The project will build a new link road from Cantley Lane South to the B1172 Norwich Road and two bridges, install new traffic signals at the B1172 junction, and modify the connections between Cantley Lane South and the existing A11 and A47 slip roads. Cantley Lane stream and the access routes along it will also be realigned, and a new culvert will be constructed.

The project will also demolish the existing A47 footbridge and build a new overbridge approximately 45 meters to its east for pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians. The road works also include resurfacing, updated traffic signs and road markings, and speed limit adjustments on sections of the B1172 Norwich Road and Cantley Lane South.

In 2025, the project completed construction of the site compound and access roads, archaeological and environmental surveys, utility and drainage diversions, and temporary roads for subsequent traffic switches. National Highways estimates that once the project is completed, approximately 12,000 vehicles per day will be diverted from the existing Thickthorn roundabout to the new road system.