A417 missing link

Latest updates

• 12 February 2021

  Unearthing local history

  Whilst planning the road, we’ve been doing surveys in the area to identify local archaeology and where we may need to reduce impact of the scheme. Whilst delving into the past we’ve found some fascinating artefacts that provide some clues to what the area was like thousands of years ago. 

  This area is steeped in history. We already know for example that the settlements at Crickley Hill and the barrows at Emma’s Grove date back to the Neolithic period, and that people lived in the area right the way through the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and during Roman occupation. 

  We also know that the A417 is built on the route of an old Roman road, and that it has previously provided archaeologists with evidence of Roman villas and temples. So, we expected to find some interesting archaeology during our search.

  

  The figurine of the Roman God, Cupid, is a rare find 

  On our quest to find out more, our team of archaeologists discovered a solid bronze figurine of Cupid holding a flaming torch. Found in a deposit of charcoal, the God of love could have been an offering to the Gods. If we’re correct, it could date back to as early as the 3rd Century before the Roman Empire became Christian. This rare finding - with less than 50 known in the UK- could have been laid to rest in a temple dedicated to the Gods, which were common during the period and often situated at the side of the road.

  

  The brooch we discovered gives us an early insight into the day to day lives of Romans

  Other items unearthed by our team include an archer’s broach, which we think was used to hold cloaks in place, and a skeleton. The skeleton is shrouded in historical mystery as it was found face down. Our lead archaeologist – who has never come across something like this before - believes that the positioning of the skeleton could be a sign that the person was unpopular or maybe it was a crime.

  Out of respect for the dead, the mystery skeleton was only partially excavated and then reburied. We’ve removed the other artefacts for further analysis by the County archaeologist and we hope they will later be displayed in a local museum for the enjoyment of residents and visitors. These discoveries will help build up a picture of what life used to be like in this area and will enrich local historical records

  We’re working in collaboration with Gloucestershire County Council and Historic England to agree ways of reducing the impact of the scheme on archaeology in the area. In some cases, we’ll change our plans to avoid disturbing known archaeology. Where this isn’t possible, we’ll carefully remove important archaeology, so it can be properly analysed, recorded and preserved for generations to come.

• 13 November 2020

  Our consultation is now closed

  Our consultation on the A417 Missing Link closed on Thursday 12 November 2020. Thank you to everyone who submitted a response. We’re now carefully considering your feedback before we submit our Development Consent Order application in the first half of 2021.

  You can still view all the consultation materials either on our consultation page or via our online exhibition room, but you won’t be able to submit a response now the consultation has closed.

  Due to the pandemic, we used some new digital tools on this consultation and we’re now evaluating what worked well and what might need some improvement. If you have five minutes to spare, we’d welcome your feedback on this survey.

• 13 October 2020

  Our consultation is now live

  We’ve listened to your feedback from our 2019 consultation and have made some changes to the scheme. These changes will further enhance local connectivity, accessibility and reduce the scheme’s impact on communities, the environment and the local landscape.

  Now it’s your chance to have a say on our updated proposals.

  We’re holding a consultation from 13 October to 12 November 2020.  Find out more on  our A417 missing link consultation citizenspace page which includes a virtual exhibition space - 

  

• 28 September 2020

  Have your say

  

  Using your feedback, we’ve made some improvements to our proposals to build 3.4 miles of new dual carriage way on the A417 between Brockworth and Cowley. The changes will benefit local connectivity, accessibility and reduce the impact on communities, the environment, and the local landscape.

  To allow you to provide feedback on these changes, we’re holding a consultation from 13 October to 12 November 2020.

  While we welcome feedback on the entire scheme, the changes we’re seeking feedback on are:

  • new crossings: Cotswold Way and Gloucestershire Way crossings
  • the change in gradient of the A417 as it climbs the escarpment near Crickley Hill
  • the design of Cowley junction
  • the rerouting of the B4070 to Birdlip via Barrow Wake
  • improvements for walkers, cyclists and horse riders, including disabled users
  • the replacement of Common Land, which is a type of green space
  • the change in environmental effects as a result of the new design

  The feedback from this consultation will help Highways England develop its application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) that we plan to submit early next year.

  How to find out more

  Online consultation

  Our plans will be available on our dedicated consultation website, that will be available here from 00.01 on 13 October.

  You’ll be able to visit our online exhibition, learn more about our proposals and provide your feedback. Members of our team will also be available to answer your questions via a webchat function at the following times:

  Date	Time
  Tuesday 13 October	11am - 2pm
  Tuesday 13 October	6pm - 8pm
  Friday 16 October	8am - 11am
  Friday 16 October	4pm - 7pm
  Saturday 17 October	9am - 1pm
  Tuesday 20 October	11am - 2pm
  Thursday 22 October	6pm - 9pm
  Saturday 24 October	1pm - 4pm
  Tuesday 27 October	8am - 11am
  Thursday 29 October	2pm - 5pm
  Monday 2 November	10am - 1pm
  Monday 2 November	6pm - 9pm
  Wednesday 4 November	4pm - 7pm
  Saturday 7 November	9am - 1pm
  Tuesday 10 November	8am - 11am
  Tuesday 10 November	6pm - 9pm
  Thursday 12 November	8am - 11am

  Home delivery

  If you do not have access to the internet or experience problems downloading the consultation materials, we can send you free of charge one printed copy of the consultation brochure, feedback form and a Freepost return envelope to your home.

  You can request materials by emailing A417MissingLinkatAirBalloon@highwaysengland.co.uk or calling 0300 183 5000.

  Telephone call back

  You can book a call back from a member of the project team to discuss the proposed changes by emailing A417MissingLinkatAirBalloon@highwaysengland.co.uk or calling 0300 183 5000. Call backs will be made Monday to Friday, 12pm to 7pm, between 13 October and 12 November.

  Live question and answer events

  We’re hosting five live question and answer events with our project team, focusing on different topics and specialist areas. At these events, our project team will give a short presentation to camera and then take questions from attendees. You can submit your questions using the chat function, which can be used anonymously.

  Theme	Date	Time
  Safety, traffic and engineering	Monday 19 October	9.30am - 11am
  Landscape, wildlife and habitats	Tuesday 20 October	9.30am - 11am
  Local access and public rights of way	Wednesday 21 October	9.30am - 11am
  Land, property, business and tourism	Thursday 22 October	9.30am - 11am
  Looking ahead - submission, examination and construction	Friday 23 October	9.30am - 11am

  
  You can register for these by emailing A417MissingLinkatAirBalloon@highwaysengland.co.uk.

  How to have your say

  From 13 October you can submit a response by using one of the methods below, which are all free to use. Please note, we cannot guarantee that responses sent by any other means will be considered.

  Online response form

  Fill in the online survey

  Freepost

  Post your response for or comments to:

  FREEPOST A417 MISSING LINK

  (The Freepost address is the only text needed on the envelope, and no stamp is required)

  Email

  Email your comments to: A417MissingLinkatAirBalloon@highwaysengland.co.uk

• 24 August 2020

  Survey update

  Ecology surveys

  Our countryside is home to some amazing plants, animals and habitats, and many of them are protected by law. Knowing exactly where they are is vital to making sure we can take steps to avoid them or keep any impact to a minimum.

  We’ve now nearly completed all our ecology surveys to inform our work on the A417 Missing Link. Our ecologists have been busy surveying potential habitats, feeding or breeding areas. This includes looking across an extended area; to identify any potential wider repercussions of our work, or any opportunities to enhance conservation value where we can.

  

  A red-tailed bumblebee on woolly thistle found at Barrow Wake during a walkover survey

  

  Surveying for bats at the top of Barrow Wake

  We’re currently carrying out some additional bat and habitat surveys to help us better understand the potential impacts of our latest design changes. We’ve used advanced survey techniques including radio-tracking bats, and our survey results have identified 15 of the 17 UK bats species within the area.

  

  A Roman snail found west of Crickley Hill during our Roman snail surveys

  Water surveys

  We’re starting some water surveys this week which will include looking at water quality and flow monitoring surveys, for both surface water and groundwater. We’ll also collect and analyse rainfall data. The results from the monitoring will help us to assess the likely impacts of our scheme during construction and once it is open to traffic. We’ll use this information to help ensure our scheme has a neutral or better impact on water quality and flow.

  Upcoming surveys

  We hope to be on site to begin archaeological trial trenching and agricultural land surveys during September 2020.

  You can read more about our survey work in the ‘Environmental’ section further down this page.

• 03 August 2020

  Public consultation

  Despite the ongoing pandemic, we’ve been working hard since our consultation last autumn, to develop our plans for improving the A417 Missing Link between Brockworth bypass and Cowley roundabout. We’ve been reviewing your feedback to help us shape a scheme that is the best possible fit with the landscape, local people and road users. We’re now using your feedback to amend our design to improve local connectivity, accessibility and reduce the scheme’s impact on communities and the environment. These include:

  • The gradient of the A417 as it climbs Crickley Hill
  • Green bridge – identifying an improved and alternative solution
  • Cowley Junction – vehicle access issues to Cowley village
  • Barrow Wake – improvements to the route to Birdlip
  • Cowley junction – addressing your concerns about safety
  • Safe connectivity for walking, cycling and horse riding at Shab Hill junction, and between Brockworth and Crickley Hill
  • Surveys – Ongoing environmental and archaeological surveys

  We’ve published a project update video and newsletter, to keep you informed on the latest project developments.

• 03 August 2020

  Development Consent Order

  As a result of this work and to ensure we complete all the necessary surveys, we need some additional time before we submit our Development Consent Order (DCO) application, which we now anticipate doing in 2021. We’re hoping some of these changes will reduce the construction period, meaning less disruption for people using the road during that time.

  We’ll be continuing our survey work to allow sufficient time for any required mitigation before we start construction of the scheme. This includes water environment surveys, agricultural land classification surveys, geotechnical information surveys and archaeological trial trenching. More information on what each survey is, and what work is involved to gather the information we require, can be found below in our ‘Environmental Documents’ section.

  We’re fully focussed on delivering the best practicable solution for you and for the region, as established in the government’s second Road Investment Strategy, published earlier this year.