Urging Government to give work on the A417 the green light to start

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THE Government is being urged by business to make an early decision on giving the green light to starting the “Missing Link” on the A417.

Work is due to start later in 2021 and an announcement of the preferred route by Highways England is due to be made in the Spring.

I understand we are reaching a critical point in terms of forward funding of the scheme and business is desperate to ensure that government continue to support the project, which now has a price tag of nearly £500million.

It appears that there is no question of the project being shelved but the full costs as they are now known means that the scheme is under serious scrutiny from the treasury.

The new road system between the Brockworth bypass, Crickley Hill and the Cowley roundabout - which is sometimes known as The Missing Link- is due to open to traffic in spring 2024.

Business West has now written to the Minister of Transport, Chris Grayling, urging him to give business in Gloucestershire the reassurance “that you hope to give a positive announcement on the preferred ‘Option 30’ route this Spring.”

My letter to the minister also said: “The daily traffic jams on the stretch of the A417 around Crickley Hill near Gloucester are appalling with business exasperated about the cost of these delays.

“Also, in my view, this is one of the most dangerous stretches of main road in the country.

“I am afraid the dreadful toll of fatalities and serious injuries from crashes on this stretch of the A417 bear this out”.

The Gloucester Citizen and the Gloucestershire Echo have been campaigning for this stretch to be made safe and congestion eased for the last 16 years.

Gloucestershire County Council and the district councils in the county have consistently backed this campaign but it is only now that Highways England have come up with plans to finally get government approval.