Drivers travelling between Gloucester and Cirencester can now use the A417 without negotiating the busy Air Balloon Roundabout, after the route’s long-awaited “missing link” opened.
The new road layout is part of a £500m project designed to ease congestion, improve journey safety and reduce travel times on the important connection between the M5 and M4.
A smoother trip between Gloucester and Cirencester
For the first time, motorists can stay on the A417 through the section between Brockworth and Cowley instead of leaving the route to cross the roundabout.
National Highways says the new layout will cut journey times. It also includes a redesigned Crickley Hill, with a gentler gradient intended to give larger vehicles a smoother climb.
Gavin Jones, project director for contractor Kier, said drivers coming from Gloucester could now travel up the new stretch of Crickley Hill and continue towards Cirencester without the previous diversion.
“No-one will ever be needing to negotiate the Air Balloon Roundabout again,” he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.
Early drivers report traffic flowing
David Collicott, a motorist from Tewkesbury, was among the first drivers to use the new layout on Friday morning. He described it as a “fantastic piece of engineering” and said cars could flow through without delays or diversions.
He did notice a short delay between the A46 and the base of the hill, but said traffic moved “really nicely” once vehicles reached the new section.
The project is not finished yet. Work will continue alongside the live carriageway as the remaining lanes are built.
The old A417 is also due to be transformed into a footpath, bridleway and cycle route, giving people travelling on foot or by bike a different way to make the journey.
Why this is good news for Britain
The opening should make journeys more reliable and safer on a busy link between the M5 and M4, while the future footpath, bridleway and cycle route will provide new options for walking, riding and cycling in Gloucestershire.
