Local residents to be given first look at new bypass

Residents in Long Stratton will be given a first look at the town's new bypass later this summer ahead of sections of the route being open to traffic for the first time.

A community open day will be held on Saturday 2 August, where local residents will be given a one-off opportunity to run, walk or cycle on a section of the new road before it starts to be used by traffic.

The event will also feature food vendors, local businesses and partner organisations showcasing what's currently available in the town; career and skills opportunities for young people and gathering views from the local community on how they would like to see the town centre develop once the bypass is fully complete.

This element of the event is being facilitated by the Long Stratton Enterprise Partnership set up by Octavius Infrastructure, who are constructing the bypass on behalf of Norfolk County Council.

County Councillor for the area, Cllr Alison Thomas said:

"I campaigned for this new road for many years' and I'm delighted to see the project now moving into the final stages.

"The event supports this year's council theme 'know your neighbour' and provides an excellent opportunity to bring local people together in a truly unique and fun way and something I'm sure the whole town will get behind.

"Hosting the event whilst the existing A140 is closed to through traffic will also provide a real taste of what life might be like once the bypass is fully complete and its important for local residents to share their views on how they would like to see the town develop in the future".

Following the event the new bypass will be open to traffic and will be used as a diversion route during the remaining construction period. This will take place once essential works to the existing A140 have been successfully completed under a series of weekend closures over the coming weeks.

Paul Browne, Project director for Octavius Infrastructure said:

"I'm thrilled we're able to give the local community the opportunity to view our progress firsthand before the route comes into use and through our establishment of the Long Stratton Enterprise Partnership we hope to leave a lasting legacy on the town".

"We appreciate the forthcoming closures in the area will cause some inconvenience but hopefully the public recognise their importance to the delivery of the project. Once these essential works are complete we will be able to use the new road to significantly limit further disruption for the remainder of the project, which we remain on course to complete before the end of the year."

The event will be held between 11am and 3pm with access onto the site by foot and bike via Edges Lane or Parkers Lane only. No access will be available via Church Lane or Hall Lane.

Everyone is encouraged to walk, wheel or cycle to the event but parking will be available at the former South Norfolk Council office on Swan Lane for blue badge parking or anyone travelling from further afield, with a shuttle bus available if required.

Please contact the team if you have any special access requirements and note the weekend closure of the A140 on the day of the event if travelling from the south.

Details of all upcoming road closures, bus diversions and latest event information will be available at www.norfolk.gov.uk/strattonbypass.

For any queries or if you are a local organisation or vendor interested in having a stall at the event contact please contact long.stratton@octavius.co.uk or call 01737 944831.

This project is a true collaboration with South Norfolk Council and Norfolk Homes, with developer contributions and major funding commitments from The Department for Transport, Greater Norwich Growth Board and South Norfolk Council supporting the project's (£46.9m) overall budget.