B1135 in Norfolk to close for new road and roundabout work

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Drivers have been warned to brace themselves for disruption, including the closure of a Norfolk road over the summer, because of work to build a new £8.4m roundabout and road.

Work to build the new roundabout at Hethel - seen as crucial to support businesses and organisations based off the B1135, such as Hethel Engineering Centre and car manufacturer Lotus - started earlier this year.

Hethel Engineering Centre (Image: Newsquest)

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

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

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.

The work has had no impact on motorists yet, but that will change from this week, while next month will see the start of road closures.

What will be the impact on drivers?

Work to make changes to drains and kerbs in Potash Lane starts on Friday (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.

The next phase, 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. It will be open to traffic during the day.

Officials say Potash Lane is so narrow that a closure is necessary so the existing carriageway asphalt can be removed and replaced with a new carriageway.

There will be a temporary tie in with the new link road for all residents and businesses, with access to Hethel Innovation while Wymondham Road is closed.

The B1135 will be closed for much the summer (Image: Google Street View)

But the biggest impact on motorists will come when the B1135 Wymondham Road, between White Gable Farm and Potash Lane is fully closed from Monday, July 20 to Friday, September 25, along with Hethel Road.

This closures are to enable the completion of the roundabout, excavation of the drainage ditches and utility diversions together with tie in works to adjoin the existing carriageway.

The diversion route for the B1135 Wymondham Road closure will be via the B1113 Norwich Road – Ipswich Road – A47 Norwich Southern Bypass - A11 and vice versa.

The diversion route for Hethel Road closure will be via Church Road onto the B1113 Norwich Road – Ipswich Road – A47 Norwich Southern Bypass – A11 and vice versa.

Once that work is done 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.

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.

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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