A417 The Missing Link Preferred Route Announcement Introduction Investing in your roads At Highways England, we believe in a connected investigate options for improving the A417 Missing country and our network makes these connections Link, a critical route that connects the Midlands happen. We strive to improve our major roads and the north of England to the south. and motorways—engineering the future to keep people moving today and moving better tomorrow. In this brochure, we explain the preferred route We want to make sure all our major roads are for the A417 Missing Link and how we assessed more dependable, durable and, most importantly, potential options for the road and carried out safe. That’s why we’re delivering billions of pounds public consultation. You’ll also find information of investment on our network. As part of this about what will happen next. the government made money available for us to 1 About the A417 Missing Link The A417/A419 provides an important route Over the years, there have been numerous between Gloucester, Cheltenham and Swindon attempts to find a solution, but for various reasons, that helps connect the West Midlands and the including affordability and changes in investment north to the south of England via the M5 and priorities, these have never become a reality. M4 motorways. While most of the route is dual carriageway, there’s one section that isn’t. However, in recent years, the case for Known as the Missing Link, this three-mile improvement has become far more compelling stretch of single carriageway between the – to improve safety, support the economy, Brockworth bypass and Cowley roundabout ease congestion and reduce pollution. This severely restricts the flow of traffic. was recognised in the government’s first Road Investment Strategy 2015 - 2020 with funding Traffic congestion can be frequent and being made available to investigate possible route unpredictable, driving motorists, including HGVs, options. Delivery of the project will be subject to to divert onto smaller local roads to avoid long confirmation of funding within the second road delays. This causes difficulties for neighbouring investment strategy, which will cover the period communities, whose local roads were not built to between 2020 - 2025 and is due to be published accommodate such a high level of traffic. towards the end of 2019. The sensitive nature of the Cotswold escarpment, the shape of the landscape and the area being part of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty means that there isn’t an easy answer for improving this section of road. The scheme’s vision: a Objectives for the scheme landscape-led highways Transport and safety: to reduce delays, improvement scheme create a free-flowing road network and improve safety along this stretch of the A417 As part of this improvement, we want to create a Environment and heritage: to reduce the landscape-led highways improvement scheme impact on the landscape, natural and that will deliver a safe and resilient free-flowing historic environment of the Cotswolds road while conserving and enhancing the special and, where possible, enhance the character of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding surrounding environment Natural Beauty; reconnecting landscape and Community and access: to reduce queuing ecology; bringing about landscape, wildlife traffic and pollution, improve access for local and heritage benefits, including enhanced people to the strategic road network, and visitors’ enjoyment of the area; improving local support residents’ and visitors’ enjoyment of communities’ quality of life; and contributing to the the countryside health of the economy and local businesses. Economic growth: to help boost growth and prosperity by making journeys more reliable and improving connectivity. 2 3 ill The preferred route H n Crickley Hill to Bentham p m A436 Country Park a We’ve chosen Option 30 as our preferred route for h A ck 41 e improving the A417 Missing Link. We’ve modified 7 B L Alternative 2: ro ck parallel to Alternative 3: and improved the route as a result of your wo rth the A417 via South Hill By feedback during our route options consultation pa ss held last year. There will be a future consultation which you can participate in on the different junction proposals shown on the plan. Little Witcombe Alternative1: Rushwood Overall the consultation demonstrated huge bridge over A417 Kennels support for improving the Missing Link and in particular for route Option 30. We believe that Barrow Wake Option 30 presents the best opportunity to deliver AAlternativeslternatives forfor A436A436 linklink andand ShabShab HillHill a landscape-led highways improvement scheme Opportunity to remove existing Shab Hill jjunctionunction llocationocation underunder reviewreview which meets all of our key objectives and delivers road and re-connect SSSI Birdlip Hill a return on investment. Cowley B4070 link re-aligned to Option 30 will: enable re-connection of SSSI improve safety compared with the existing A417 alignment moved to the east Birdlip to improve the landscape fit route and contribute to our target of reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured Great Witcombe Stockwell on our network Farm make journey times more predictable, reducing the cost and inconvenience of unexpected delays on businesses and other people who use the road and enabling goods and services Key Opportunity to remove to be moved around more easily existing A417 carriageway reduce rat-running through neighbouring Option 30 main line Golden Heart Inn communities, improving the lives of people Birdlip link (B4070) Cowley Junction who live close to the route and making it easier A436 connection alternatives Nettleton for drivers, walkers and other local road users Opportunity to remove section of existing A417 New free-flowing junction at Cowley to replace the to get around existing roundabout and maintain local access Proposed junction location improve landscape and ecological connectivity SSSI Special Site of Scientific Interest through landscape and habitat restoration and A 4 Diagrammatic plan not to scale, junction arrangements are indicative 1 provision of a green bridge © Crown copyright and database rights 2019 OS 100030649 7 improve air quality and reduce pollution Brimpsfield caused by idling vehicles improve access to public footpaths, including Our preferred route consists of: the Cotswold Way National Trail and the a 3.4 mile dual carriageway surface route, a new section of road built through Shab Hill to the removal of the Air Balloon and Cowley Gloucestershire Way, helping more people to following the alignment of the existing A417 at the east of the existing A417, re-joining the road roundabouts enjoy the area safely Crickley Hill with a reduced gradient near Cowley roundabout a downgraded road between Air Balloon support the predicted growth in jobs and a third lane ascending Crickley Hill, to provide a new junction at Shab Hill with links to Birdlip roundabout and a new junction at Cowley. housing in the Gloucestershire area by one lane for slow moving traffic and two for and the A436 improving this key road connection. general traffic 4 5 The consultation Consultation proposals Option 12 For further information on The proposals that we put forward as part of the As a result of this assessment two route options a four mile stretch reusing sections of the how we identified route consultation, held in February and March 2018, were proposed at consultation: Option 12 and existing A417 on Crickley Hill and Birdlip. New followed extensive investigation of possible route Option 30. sections of road would be built at Nettleton and options, please see our options. This involved assessing route options Emma’s Grove. route options consultation against the scheme’s vision and objectives, as well as a range of engineering, economic and financial booklet which is available criteria. online: https://highwaysengland.citizenspace. com/he/a417-missing-link/ 6 7 The consultation Option 30 For further information on a 3.4 mile surface route following the alignment of the existing A417 at Crickley Hill with less of how we identified route a slope. The new section of road would be built options, please see our through Shab Hill to the east of the existing route options consultation A417, re-joining the road near the existing location of Cowley roundabout. booklet which is available online: https://highwaysengland.citizenspace. com/he/a417-missing-link/ 8 9 How we carried out the consultation We held our public consultation on route options We held public events at six locations where you over a six week period between 15 February could view information about the scheme and and 29 March 2018. We asked you to comment speak to members of the project team, as well on the scheme proposals and for any important as provide comments on the scheme proposals. information you felt we should take into account as These were attended by approximately 800 part of its development. people. We also placed information in local libraries. We promoted the consultation using a range of methods, including letters to interested parties, leaflets, posters, press releases to local and For further information on how we regional newspapers, Facebook advertising carried out the consultation, please and social media. We developed a dedicated read our A417 Report on Public consultation website (https://highwaysengland. Consultation, available online: citizenspace.com/he/a417-missing-link/) where https://highwaysengland.citizenspace.com/ you could view consultation documents, get he/a417-missing-link/ updates and submit feedback online. You could also submit feedback by email and freepost. Almost 2,000 people and organisations responded Key issues and themes to the consultation. raised during consultation Thank you to everyone who shared their You can find more information on specific comments with us during consultation. We’ve alternative proposals and our response in the taken your suggestions and feedback into A417 Report on Public Consultation and the A417 account in the selection of the preferred Scheme Assessment Report, published alongside route.