The £500million Missing Link scheme has been upgrading over three miles of the much-needed dual carriageway between Brockworth and Cowley. National Highways and contractor Kier are currently lifting beams on the bridges that form part of the new A417. A continuous dual-carriageway route will be created that links the M5 motorway at Gloucester to the M4 motorway via the A419.
Congestion and poor visibility have often contributed to a higher frequency of accidents on this section of the road. Delivered in partnership with Kier, the £500million project promises to increase road capacity to reduce congestion, traffic delays, and improve safety. In addition to improving the connection between the two dual carriageway sections of the A417 and meeting the specific requirements to preserve the Cotswolds landscape, the scheme introduces the UK’s largest green bridge to help wildlife, cyclists, and walkers cross the new road. A bespoke underpass is being constructed to give local wildlife safe passage from one side to the other, and hundreds of thousands of hours have been spent uncovering archaeological findings, revealing numerous historical artifacts.
Engineers have also created a new watercourse in place of culverts.
Earlier this year, dramatic drone pictures showed the massive scale of construction work required for the £500million project. The new Shab Valley underbridge will sit beneath nine lines of carriageway.
Steve Foxley, the project director for National Highways, said: “This scheme is vital for the area and the upgrade will mean smoother, safer and more reliable journeys for drivers. We’re delighted to have made so much progress, and we will build on this to deliver this new stretch of road as soon as we can.”
Constructing bat boxes and bird fencing are just some of the conservation efforts being undertaken. Last year, a large operation to relocate adders was carried out with a leading UK reptile expert finding new homes for them.
During preparatory works, contractors say they translocated more than 2,000 reptiles and over 100 Roman snails to reduce impacts on fauna.
National Highways says the new stream has been designed to follow a natural, meandering route, encouraging habitat creation and supporting local biodiversity.
The largest of the bridges is the environmental bridge, which is 37m wide and has native plants planted on it. Species-rich grassland, native hedgerows and trees will be planted on crossings and stretches of the byways.
The site is also being used as a testing ground for an award-winning innovation to remove microplastics from wastewater runoff.
The A417 Missing Link itself is a three-mile single-lane carriageway on the A417 between the Brockworth bypass and Cowley Roundabout in Gloucestershire. It connects Gloucester, Cheltenham, and Swindon via the M5 and M4 motorways. The road provides an important route between Gloucester and Swindon, and helps connect the Midlands/North to the South of England.
National Highways is currently upgrading this single-carriageway section to a dual-carriageway to create a complete dual-carriageway route between the M4 and the M5. The project, which started in early 2023, is expected to be completed by 2027.
