Work underway on £460m scheme at traffic blackspot

Work has started on a £460m scheme which aims to improve a traffic at a notorious bottleneck and accident blackspot.

The work on the A417 in Gloucestershire is making good progress according to National Highways.

A three-mile dual carriageway is being built on the A417 between Gloucester and Cirencester.

The scheme will bypass the Air Balloon roundabout and will help reduce delays.

The stretch of road near Gloucester carries about 40,000 cars a day and is known as a congestion hotspot.

The road connects the M5 and M4 motorways and the section being worked on is known as the missing link.

The National Highways Project Director for the A417, Steve Foxley, said the scheme is  a massive project.

He added: “So far we have cut 1.3 million tonnes of rock, with 8,000 tonnes being used to fill in the valley and the other 5,000 tonnes on to Crickley Hill to build the new road on.

“Lots of big pieces of plant are being moved around, so as people are driving down the existing road they’ll be able to look across and see some quite big machinery moving up and down over the next two years.”

National Highways’ Chief Executive Nick Harris said: “The A417 Missing Link is one of the busiest roads in the country and experiences congestion and delays on a regular basis.

“This major upgrade, which is vital for local communities and the regional South West economy, is a significant investment of £460m in our road network that will improve safety, reduce traffic congestion and improve connectivity for road users and local communities.”