Delays and diversions amid weekend A-road closure

A major A-road will close over the weekend as work on a £460m road project continues.

The A417 in Gloucestershire will be shut in both directions between the A46 Brockworth junction and the Air Balloon roundabout from 21:00 BST until 06:00 on Monday.

National Highways said the closure is necessary to allow crews to divert a water main, clear vegetation and complete surfacing works as part of the ongoing Missing Link project, which aims to improve traffic flow between Gloucester and Cirencester.

While the closure is in place, motorists have been urged to follow signposted diversion routes and allow extra time for journeys.

Work on the three-mile (4.8km) scheme, which links the M5 and M4, began in 2023.

Earlier this month, a temporary new dual carriageway opened and the former route leading to Birdlip closed permanently.

Crickley Hill has temporarily been reduced to a single lane between Brockworth and the Air Balloon roundabout and there is a reduced speed limit of 40mph (64km/h) in place, with more recovery teams on standby for breakdowns.

Motorists travelling to and from Cirencester and Swindon will head up the new two-mile (3.2km) stretch of the A417 when they reach the top of Crickley Hill.

The route will take them through the new Shab Hill junction, which will eventually go to Birdlip.

By the end of the project, the old road will be turned into a bridleway with a footpath and cycle path.

National Highways chiefs said they were on target to complete the scheme in 2027.

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