Thickthorn Interchange

Description

Thickthorn Interchange is the name of a roundabout interchange in Norwich, Norfolk. The A47, linking Norfolk with the Midlands crosses the A11 to London. The B1172 terminates here, and a couple of side streets join in.

Since this a major interchange for long-distance traffic heading north / south and east / west, and that all A11 traffic has to traverse the roundabout, and that there is a large amount of local traffic using the junction and associated park and ride facilities, this junction is constantly busy. Traffic signals are on every exit except at Newmarket Road.

History

The A11 has always passed through here, originally via Newmarket Road and the present-day B1172. When the Wymondham Bypass was constructed, a roundabout was built here to tie in the A11 to the B1172.

In the 1990s the A47 Southern Bypass was constructed around Norwich as a two-lane dual carriageway. At Thickthorn, a roundabout interchange was constructed. However due to the volume of traffic the junction has been overloaded almost since opening.

In March 2017, proposals were announced to provide free-flow sliproads between the A11 and A47 heading East, with the DCO being published in 2022.

In the 1950s, before the junction

• 

  Thickthorn Interchange, present day.

Routes

Route	To	Notes
A11	London, Thetford
A11	Norwich, Cromer (A140), Cringleford, Hospital
A47	Swaffham
A47	Norwich East, Great Yarmouth, Ipswich (A140), Lowestoft (A146)
B1172	Hethersett, Services, Park and Ride
		Newmarket Road. No Through Road.
		Cantley Lane South

Links

National Highways

• Thickthorn consultation - March 2017 (archive.org)
  • Preferred Route Announcement - August 2017 (archive.org)
  • Consultation Report - August 2017 (archive.org)
• Thickthorn Consultation - June 2019 (archive.org)

legislation.gov.uk

• The A47/A11 Thickthorn Junction Development Consent Order 2022

• The A47/A11 Thickthorn Junction Development Consent (Correction) Order 2023