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Gloucestershire Business News

A417 "missing link" plan is set to be revealed

One of the options ton fill the "missing link" on the A417

The chosen route to fill in the "missing link" on the A417 will finally be announced in the coming months.

Highways England have confirmed that their chosen route for the troublesome section of the road between Brockworth and Cowley will be announced in "spring 2019".

The stretch of road that currently includes the Air Balloon roundabout is the only section of the A417-A419 link between Gloucester and Swindon that isn't dual carriageway.

The scheme has received government support and was included in an "Investing in the South West" document produced by the Department of Transport last week.

The scheme, which will cost as much as £500million, was the subject of a public consultation held last year, the results of which will be published when the announcement is made.

A Highways England statement said: "We're planning to announce our preferred route for the project in spring 2019.

"As part of this, we'll publish the results of the consultation so that you can see how this has fed into our preferred route selection.

"After we've selected our preferred route and carried out some more design work, we'll hold a second, statutory consultation to get people's views on more refined proposals."

That statutory consultation will inform the Agency's application for a Development Consent Order - the special planning application needed for a "Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project."

Following the submission of the Development Consent Order, the planning inspectorate will hold a public examination before making a recommendation to the secretary of state for transport.

According to the Highways England timeline that process will take a further two years with the final sign-off being made in the summer of 2021, with work then starting later in the year.

In a document entitled "Investing in the South West" last week, transport secretary Chris Grayling highlighted the importance of the scheme.

The document said: "The A417 provides an essential link to the M5 at Gloucester and the M4 at Swindon - two of the region's top growth areas.

"It helps businesses in the South West connect with markets and opportunities in the midlands and the north, and attracts investment for Gloucestershire and its neighbours by linking them to London and the south east.

"The government recognises that the three mile stretch of single carriageway on the A417 between the Brockworth bypass and Cowley roundabout, known as the missing link, requires improvement."

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