Motorists in Gloucestershire are being advised to prepare for significant travel disruption due to the full closure of the A417 this weekend. National Highways has confirmed that the road will be closed overnight and throughout the weekend to enable traffic to switch to a newly constructed permanent section of the dual carriageway as part of the extensive Missing Link project.
This major infrastructure scheme, aimed at improving the route between Gloucester and Cirencester, involves a substantial investment of hundreds of millions of pounds. The upgraded section of the dual carriageway is scheduled to open to traffic from 6am on Friday, 18 September.
To facilitate the completion and opening of this new road, the existing carriageways will be fully closed at various times. The closures commence with a complete shutdown of the A417 in both directions between the A46 Brockworth Junction and the Air Balloon roundabout. This closure began at 11pm on Friday, 11 September, and will continue until 6am on Monday, 14 September, during which drivers will be directed along clearly signed diversion routes.
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Following this weekend closure, a series of overnight closures are planned. The A417 will be closed in both directions from 9pm until 6am each night from Monday, 14 September, through Wednesday, 16 September, with an additional overnight closure on Thursday, 17 September, during the same hours.
Further local diversions will be in place overnight on Wednesday, 16 September, when the new A436 and A417 routes between the Air Balloon roundabout, Ullenwood roundabout, and the A429 Burford Road junction will be closed from 9pm to 6am.
According to a diversion map issued by National Highways, drivers will be rerouted along approximately 10 miles via the A436, A435, A40 and A46 to bypass the closed section. The detour directs traffic towards Severn Springs, up to Cheltenham, and back down Shurdington Road leading to the Brockworth Junction.
Traffic monitoring service Inrix reports: “A417 in both directions closed, very slow traffic due to weekend roadworks until the early hours of Monday morning from A436 (Air Balloon Roundabout, Ullenwood) to the A46 (Bentham). Congestion extends to the A46 Shurdington Road through Shurdington, with roads through Birdlip also affected.”
Once open, northbound drivers travelling from Cirencester to Gloucester will continue along the new dual carriageway without needing to exit at Shab Hill junction. Southbound traffic from Gloucester towards Cirencester will proceed directly towards Cowley junction, with the Air Balloon roundabout having been removed.
The new B4070 road connecting to Birdlip and the northbound slip road at Cowley junction are expected to open later this year. Until then, access to Birdlip will remain via the current route through Cowley junction.
Motorists should note significant changes to routes from Cheltenham via Leckhampton Hill and from Oxford via Seven Springs and the A436, as there will no longer be a direct link into Gloucester. Instead, vehicles from Cheltenham and Oxford will be directed onto the new A436 to reach Shab Hill junction. From there, drivers can continue towards Cirencester or use the new underpass to join the northbound slip road to Gloucester.
A spokesperson for National Highways said: “These activities may generate some noise while we’re working. We will maintain access for emergency services at all times. Fully signed diversion routes will be in place during all closures. Please follow these official diversion routes rather than relying on sat navs.”