Octavius Infrastructure has signed with Norfolk County Council to build the long-awaited £47M Long Stratton Bypass. The Long Stratton Bypass is a proposed 3.9km single-carriageway highway scheme which will allow drivers to reach the A140 without having to pass through the village. The job includes construction of three new roundabouts, two new junctions and two overbridges.
Plans for the village bypass in Norfolk were first discussed 70 years ago and have had a number of false starts since. In September last year, the long-awaited bypass was finally granted full planning permission by South Norfolk Council.
Norfolk County Council secured £26.2M from the Department for Transport (DfT) for the project in summer 2021, but in September 2022 the scheme saw its projected costs rise to £46.2M from the original £37.4M.
This 23.5% rise in cost was mainly due to the pandemic and the Ukraine war driving up material and labour prices across the globe. The full business case for the new road has now been submitted to government which estimates the overall cost of delivering the route at £46.9m.
Following initial preparation works which will be taking place over the coming months, the target date for the main construction work to start on the bypass is Spring 2024 with the road planned to be open to traffic before the end of 2025 after an 18-month construction period.
The project will now be mainly funded with a minimum of 70% from the DfT’s Major Road Network Fund and up to 30% from local contributions made up primarily of developer contributions and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) contributions.
The Greater Norwich Growth Board have also agreed arrangements with South Norfolk Council for the forward funding of a £4.5M developer contribution, which is in addition to the £10M CIL supported contribution it has already pledged.
Long Stratton residents have campaigned and lobbied government for a bypass for decades as they hope it will cut congestion through the village. As well as the bypass, plans for 1,800 new homes and a new primary school for the area were recently approved by South Norfolk Council.
Norfolk County Council cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport Graham Plant said: “This is another welcome milestone we’ve reached in this vital infrastructure project. The 3.9km road will not only solve the transport issues caused by the bottleneck on the A140 – which is a major local route – but also open-up improvements for cycling and walking in and around the town.
“Once in place the scheme will cut congestion, unlock economic growth, and improve journey times across the county.”
Octavius Infrastructure managing director for highways Gavin Pritchard, said: “We are delighted to be working with Norfolk County Council on such a key project, bringing significant benefits to the Long Stratton community and the wider transport network.
“Our carbon reduction measures, the protection and enhancement of the local environment, and the significant sourcing of local suppliers in this region reflects our strong commitment to our sustainability and social value goals for this project.”
Norfolk County Council councillor for Long Stratton Alison Thomas said, “This is great news as seeing this project continue to push forward is very welcome – not only for those who live and work in Long Stratton but also for the thousands of people who use the route and experience first-hand the daily delays and frustrations brought by the current situation.”
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