WEST NORFOLK: MP urges A47 upgrades
Traffic at standstill on the A47 eastbound carriageway between Saddlebow interchange and the Harwdick roundabout following an RTC.
The campaign to dual the main route linking Lynn with Norwich and Peterborough was taken to Westminster yesterday.
The fight to secure what supporters claim are urgently-needed improvements to the A47 was highlighted by Mid-Norfolk MP George Freeman in an adjournment debate in the House of Commons as the Lynn News went to press.
Mr Freeman said: “I have long campaigned for better infrastructure and easier links so that we can encourage economic growth within our region.”
Business leaders have also welcomed the effort to secure the debate.
Andy Wood, chairman of the New Anglia local enterprise partnership (LEP), which serves Norfolk and Suffolk, added: “It is a crucial artery for Norfolk and we know that improvements will boost the economy and help grow jobs in the region.”
The debate is the latest chapter of a renewed effort by the county’s politicians to secure improvements to the road.
Mr Freeman added: “These efforts are a genuine demonstration of the power of collaborative working to secure the best deal for the people of Norfolk.”
Last month, county councillors passed a motion calling for a government commitment to turn the route into a dual carriageway.
That followed the launch last year of a campaign for targeted improvements to the route across the county, including a bypass for the villages of Middleton and East Winch.
Supporters have also argued that the safety case for improvements was also highlighted by several fatal collisions on the road late last year, including the deaths of Sutton Bridge sisters Tamzin and Jessica Portor in December.
Last month, the Highways Agency announced a £170,000 plan for new signs and white lines at the Broadend junction near Walsoken, close to the scene of the accident in which Tamzin and Jessica died.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North
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