Opening of A417 Missing Link first stretch delayed as heatwave halts construction
Summary
This week’s heatwave has delayed the first chance for drivers to test out the new A417 ‘missing link’ road. A two-mile stretch of the new dual carriageway was expected to open tomorrow (June 29) as part of a temporary diversion to allow other works on the wider project, which remains under construction.
Details
Site workers were forced to stop working after temperatures reached 34 degrees two days in a row in nearby Cheltenham on Wednesday and Thursday (June 24 and 25), meaning the date has been pushed back to Monday, July 6. Motorists will then be able to travel along this section of the new A417 , which will eventually form part of the permanent, upgraded route due to be completed in 2027.
A National Highways spokesperson said: “We’ve moved the date due to the unprecedented high temperatures and Met Office red weather warning, only the second one we’ve seen in the UK. “The high temperatures have impacted progress on site while we look after the wellbeing and safety of our workforce.
Working practices have been adjusted for the heat and we also need to lay several layers of asphalt on the new A436, but this has taken longer to cure in the hot weather. “Work on the A436 will resume when we are able to do so safely, and we hope to open the new road next weekend.
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Temperatures peaked at 34 degrees in Cheltenham on both Wednesday, June 24 and Thursday, June 25.” The A417 Missing Link project, which began in 2023 and was initially estimated to cost around £460 million, aimed to fix a three-mile stretch of the A417 between Brockworth bypass and Cowly Roundabout (the ‘missing link’) that was notorious for crashes.
National Highways say the project will reduce traffic, reduce pollution and make the road safer for the tens of thousands of vehicles who use it daily. On the other hand, the project has caused road closures and delays as part of roadworks. Its project log advises: “We’ll open the new section of the A436 and A417 to traffic from 6am Monday 6 July.
We expect it to be in place for at least five weeks. “The road will look and feel different – it will have narrower lanes and a 40mph speed limit [and] the A417 will be reduced to one lane in both directions between A46 Brockworth Junction and Air Balloon roundabout “Switching traffic to this new section lets us keep the road open, protect our workers and minimise disruption.
It’s a key milestone, which includes permanently closing the existing A417 between Air Balloon and the existing B4070.” However it advised the work will likely cause “significant delays in the area” and urged motorists to plan journeys in advance.
Report source: Gloucestershire Live