An extra minute and a half travelling along the notorious Acle Straight will be worth it if a new 50mph speed limit saves lives, local leaders have said.
Councillors, campaigners and the area's MP have been reacting to National Highways' plan to reduce the speed limit on the A47 between Great Yarmouth and Acle from 60mph to 50mph.
The new restriction, which they say is needed to prevent crashes and deaths, would be enforced by average speed cameras along the 6.8 mile road.
Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC), said: "It's a good move for safety reasons. Too many people have lost their lives along that road."
"We'll continue to fight for that to get done, and for the Vauxhall roundabout improvements," he said.
Even if the new speed limit saves just one life, the extra journey time of one minute and a half would be "worth it", Mr Smith added.
He said measures to reduce crashes and fatalities on the Acle Straight were needed.
“If that means adding a few minutes to journeys it would be worth it," he said.
Although the group supported full dualling, he acknowledged that would not be for “some considerable time”, so it made sense to bring in safety measures to stop crashes in the meantime.
Mick Castle, longtime campaigner for improving the Acle Straight, said the proposals were "disappointing".
"Fundamentally it doesn’t solve the problem. The problem is that it’s a single track," he said.
"In any other part of the country it would be laughable.
"To be connected to the rest of the country by a single track road is not good enough," he said.
He added that the Acle Straight was "fundamental" to the long-term viability of industry in Yarmouth.
READ MORE: Acle Straight dualling - 15 times hopes were raised... and dashed again
Rupert Lowe, MP for Great Yarmouth, said: "This is the right move, and I urge the improvements to be delivered as soon as possible.
"Of course dualling the road has to be the ultimate aim, but there have to be short term solutions.
"I pushed for this during the campaign and after, as it will undoubtedly save lives and reduce accidents. Average speed cameras are key, and will reduce delays for all using the road."
Mr Lowe said for Great Yarmouth to flourish, the Acle Straight needs to be sorted out.
"That begins with these proposals, and ends with a full dualling. Let's get on with it," he added.
National Highways, the government company responsible for the road, said that between 2017 and 2021 there were 54 crashes on the road, with 138 people hurt.
It said cutting the speed limit, enforced by average speed cameras - which use automatic number plate reading to record speed between two points - would improve safety for all road users.
Hopes of improving the Acle Straight, built in the 1830s, have been on the cards since at least the 1950s.
Supporters say it would contribute to the levelling-up of Great Yarmouth. They also make the case that a dual carriageway would be safer than a single carriageway, particularly given the dykes either side, which have claimed people’s lives after crashes.
In September 2020, Highways England announced that the long called for dualling of the road would not happen for at least another decade, after it was not included in the government’s next wave of road schemes.
There are also plans for improvement work done to the Vauxhall roundabout to ease the congestion there, but that project, which was originally due to take place in 2018, has also been delayed.
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