Yarmouth Road near Pound Lane, Norwich
Start: Monday 2 June
Expected Completion: Friday 22 August
Norfolk County Council will be carrying out work to improve reliability for bus services using Yarmouth Road. This will be achieved by removing 'pinch points' and extending the turning lanes on approach to the mini roundabout to minimise congestion and also includes the relocation of the existing crossing. This will result in buses being able to move through the area more effectively which will improve journey times and reliability for local services.
This webpage will be kept up to date with the latest progress and information.
Background
The Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded the county council nearly £50m of funding for its Bus Service Improvement Plan, aimed at improving bus services and infrastructure facilities across the county. The plan includes measures such as integrated travel hubs, new and more frequent services, and bus priority infrastructure schemes such as this project at the Yarmouth Road/Pound Lane junction.
Read more about our work on the Bus Service Improvement Plan.
Consultations
This initial consultation closed on 20 March 2024.
View the original consultation material.
Large print and alternative formats are also available on request by emailing transportfornorwich@norfolk.gov.uk
The Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) necessary to deliver the project were formally advertised on Friday 1 November 2024
Consultation feedback
A large proportion of responses referenced possible disruption and the recent works at heartsease roundabout. While we appreciate that any disruption to the highway can be frustrating this does not mean that improvements which will provide long term benefit should not be carried out.
Bus journey time savings and improved service reliability will be achieved by buses advancing and exiting the mini roundabout in all directions more efficiently on each journey. General traffic will benefit from increased capacity too.
Up to nine buses per hour use this route inbound and up to seven outbound. We have already seen journey time savings of up to 8 minutes on travel into the city centre from the changes carried out on Thorpe Road and this proposal will further strengthen the efficiency of this route, supporting our wider strategy under our Bus Service Improvement Plan and encourage further future investment. This has already been seen with the recent introduction of one of the largest electric bus fleets outside of London, supporting the council's wider Net Zero ambitions.
Any disruption during construction will be kept to a minimum through carefully considered traffic management if the scheme goes ahead and both residents and road users will be advised ahead of any works taking place.
The money obtained from government for this project can only be used to improve bus infrastructure.
Some residents stated they would like to see signalised crossings at the mini roundabout but this would lead to increased congestion which was also a local concern. The new signal controlled crossing on Yarmouth Road will provide an additional safety benefit for those on foot and the extended two-lane approach on Yarmouth Road (eastbound) and the increased capacity of the mini roundabout will provide better traffic flows for all users.
Resident parking has been reallocated to provide an improved two-way traffic flow towards the mini roundabout. Parking at the local shops has been increased by one car length and the overall reduction in parking provision equates to only one vehicle.
What changed
In response to feedback the proposed new signal control crossing located just east of Bungalow Lane will include a build out to ensure full visibility for pedestrians and motortists to enable a safe crossing.
The existing zebra crossing to the east of the mini roundabout on Yarmouth Rd will see improvements to tactile paving for visually impaired users and road markings will also be renewed to improve visibility and safety for all users.
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