Photo: far left and far right are Tarmac representatives with Tarmac Highway Services general manager, Alistair McBeath on the far right. Then l-r are Lisa Neal, South Norfolk Council Cabinet Member – Planning & Economic Growth; Cllr Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure & Transport; Cllr Alison Thomas, County Councillor for the Long Stratton division, which includes the Hempnall crossroads; and Chris Starkie, Chief Executive at the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership.

 

 

Celebration as new Hempnall roundabout will start to take shape from Monday

A celebration today has marked the start of the construction of the new Hempnall roundabout which gets underway on Monday, 20 May.

As the prep work draws to a close the diggers have now moved in ready for the main building work which begins next week. The roundabout is set to open by the end of the year.

Over the past three months a number of preliminary works have been completed including diversions of electricity poles, water pipes and phone lines to clear the way for the new roundabout.

Cllr Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure & Transport, said: “We’ve worked very hard to push this scheme forward which will help to unlock economic growth and development in the area, improve access from side roads onto the A140, and crucially, make this junction safer.

“By building the roundabout to the west of the existing crossroads we can minimise the traffic disruption. We’re grateful for people’s patience while work is underway as I’m sure the short-term pain will be well worth the long-term gain.”

Cllr Alison Thomas, County Councillor for the Long Stratton division, which includes the Hempnall crossroads, said: “The case for an improvement at this junction was clear as the accident record sadly speaks for itself.

“I’m delighted to see this project finally happening as it has been one of my main priorities during my time as a Councillor. This vital roundabout will make this section of road safer and make it easier for drivers to access the A140 at this point without the need to detour for safety purposes. This will cut the daily delays that people have had to face, particularly on the B1527 to Hempnall.”

In October 2017 the Department for Transport awarded Norfolk County Council £3.05 million towards the £4.57 million cost of the scheme, this includes a £650,770 investment from the LEP via the Government’s Growth Deal programme. The remainder of the funding will come from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Norfolk County Council.

Chris Starkie, Chief Executive at New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “It’s good news that the work is now starting on the new roundabout, as safe and reliable roads are essential for all users. The A140 is an important transport artery for businesses in the area and those who are coming through so this should benefit the local economy.

“The LEP is also investing in this project to help facilitate the delivery of 1,800 homes and 9.5 acres of employment space at the nearby Norfolk Homes development in Long Stratton. Overall this is an important piece of infrastructure that will have a positive impact on people, business and productivity.”

Cllr John Fuller, Chair of the Greater Norwich Growth Board, said: “The changes to the Hempnall junction are very welcome and will offer significant benefits to residents and businesses, improving the safety and reliability of journeys on the A140.

“The new junction will form an integral part of the infrastructure needed to support the planned housing and employment growth in Long Stratton and the long-awaited Long Stratton bypass.”

The existing junction, known locally as the Hempnall crossroads, has a poor injury accident record, with eleven personal injury accidents in the last five years (latest available figures run up to the end of February 2019). These accidents resulted in 15 casualties, with one categorised as serious.

Two thirds of the injury accidents involved vehicles emerging from the side roads onto the A140, with the remainder being tail end collisions in traffic and single vehicle loss of control incidents. The roundabout will improve this section of the A140 that has seen a number of collisions over the years and sadly some recent fatalities.

Alistair McBeath, general manager, Tarmac Highways Services who are the main contractors, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Norfolk County Council to deliver this important scheme which will make local journeys safer and easier.”

Road users will see a temporary 30mph limit in place from Monday and some closures of side roads will be needed to allow work to safely take place.

An informal public consultation on the plan, that ran in March and April 2018, showed overwhelming support for the scheme.

Up-to-date information about the scheme is available on the County Council website at
www.norfolk.gov.uk/hempnallcrossroads

Local Enterprise Partnerships are playing a vital role in driving forward economic growth across the country, helping to build a country that works for everyone.

That’s why by 2021 Government will have invested over £12bn through the Local Growth Fund, allowing LEPs to use their local knowledge to get all areas of the country firing on all cylinders.

New Anglia LEP’s Local Growth Fund

New Anglia LEP’s total Growth Deal from Government is £290m to 2021. It is estimated to create 54,750 new jobs, 6,800 new homes and to generate an additional £628m public and private investment. This funding is used to support projects which aid the delivery of the Economic Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk by boosting the region’s skills, driving innovation, targeting support to help small businesses to grow and improving transport and infrastructure.

A full list of New Anglia LEP’s Growth Deal projects can be found at newanglia.co.uk/growth-deal

Traffic management

As the new roundabout will be built to the west of the existing crossroads, and off the line of the A140 this will allow disruption to be kept to a minimum (please note that some dates may be subject to change which can be expected during a construction project such as this). Reminders of any necessary traffic management will also be publicised nearer to the time. Proposed works include:

• Overnight temporary 30mph speed limit on A140 between the hours of 8pm to 6am, from 7 May to 20 May
• 24/7 temporary 30mph speed limit on A140 from 20 May – 1 November
• Hempnall Crossroads (A140 / B1527 / C497) closed from 8pm Friday 30 August to 6am Monday 2 September, and 8pm Friday 6 September to 6am Monday 9 September
• B1527 Hempnall Road closed at its junction with A140 from 30 August to 29 October (24 hours a day). Also closed on 21-22 May 2019 (24 hours a day).
• C497 Bungay Road closed at its junction with A140 from 17 May 2019 – 9 September 2019 (24 hours a day)