B1135 in Norfolk to close for new road and roundabout work

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Drivers are facing the closure of a Norfolk road over the summer because of work to build a new £8.4m roundabout and road.

The new scheme at Hethel aims to improve access to businesses and organisations based off the B1135, such as Hethel Engineering Centre and car manufacturer Lotus.

It will see a new three-arm roundabout built on the Wymondham Road, with the north arm providing spine road access through the site.

That road would then join Potash Lane northeast of the Hethel Engineering Centre site, with spurs of the spine road designed to provide access to land earmarked for new businesses.

Hethel Engineering Centre (Image: Newsquest)

Construction started in March, but the work has had no impact on motorists yet.

However, from next month that will change, initially with traffic lights and an overnight road closure, but then with a longer closure of the B1135 Wymondham Road.

What will be the impact on drivers?

Work to make changes to drains and kerbs in Potash Lane starts on June 26 and continues until July 13.

Temporary two way traffic lights will be in place during the daytime to allow safe working room for the construction team and public using Potash Lane.

A temporary link will be constructed to the south of the new junction to provide access to the new link road for future phases

Phase three, which will see the tie-in of the new link road and Potash Lane, means Potash Lane will need to shut to traffic between 6pm and 6am for three nights from July 10.

But the biggest impact on motorists will start on July 14 and continue until September 18.

The B1135 Wymondham Road will be closed later this summer (Image: Jackson Civil Engineering / South Norfolk Council)

It will see the B1135 Wymondham Road will shut between White Gable Farm and Potash Lane and the closure of Hethel Road.

The closures are needed because the new roundabout is about a metre higher than the existing road level due to the new drainage which passes below the carriageway.

Coupled with the narrow width of the B1135, it is not possible to construct the roundabout in two halves while allowing traffic to pass through.

Access to Potash Lane and Hethel Innovation Centre will be via the east on the B1135, but there will be no access to Potash Lane along the B1135 from the west.

A diversion route will be put in place via the B1113 Norwich Road – Ipswich Road – A47 Norwich Southern Bypass - A11 and vice versa.

The link from Hethel Road onto Wymondham Road will also be shut, with diversions via Church Road onto the B1113 Norwich Road – Ipswich Road – A47 Norwich Southern Bypass – A11 and vice versa.

From September 21 until October 2, there will, temporary traffic lights will return at the Potash Lane junction with the B1135 and the new connection between the link road and Potash Lane north.

Work to finish the scheme will then continue until November.

South Norfolk Council and contractors Jackson Civil Engineering have written to parish councils and other organisations to explain the planned work.

They said: "We understand further disruption to the road network will be unwelcome news to local residents, businesses and members of the public

"We have worked with Norfolk County Council’s streetworks team to ensure these works are scheduled when other nearby roadworks are minimal.

We have also worked with National Highways to understand their traffic management arrangements for this coming summer and requested that our closure does not coincide with any of their closures to the A11 and A47."

Why is this work needed?

Leaders at South Norfolk Council and Norfolk County Council have said the project is needed to support the future growth of the site, where 50 acres of nearby land are earmarked for engineering and technology businesses.

South Norfolk Council, along with Norfolk County Council, has put money into the project, as has the Greater Norwich Growth Board.

Liberal Democrat councillor Jim Webber (Image: Liberal Democrats)

However, the scheme has had its critics.

When outline proposals came before South Norfolk Council, Liberal Democrat district councillor Jim Webber likened it to "the Milton Keynes-isation of South Norfolk" - a reference to the many roundabouts in the Buckinghamshire city.

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