Misplaced Pages

A417
The A417 Brockworth bypass with Gloucester in the distance
Route information
Length	96.9 mi (155.9 km)
Major junctions
Southeast end	Streatley, Berkshire 51°31′31″N 1°08′57″W / 51.5253°N 1.1493°W / 51.5253; -1.1493
Major intersections	M5 M50 A329 A338 A419 A420 A361 A429 A435 A436 A46 A38 A40 A449 A438 A4103 A465 A49
Northwest end	Hope under Dinmore 52°10′26″N 2°42′55″W / 52.1738°N 2.7153°W / 52.1738; -2.7153
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Primary destinations	Cirencester Gloucester Wantage
Road network
Roads in the United Kingdom Motorways A and B road zones
← A416 → A418

The A417 is a main road in England, running from Streatley, Berkshire to Hope under Dinmore, Herefordshire. It is best known for its section between Cirencester and Gloucester where it has primary status and forms part of the link between the major settlements of Swindon and Gloucester.

History

When the A417 was first designated in 1922, it ran only from Streatley to Cirencester. In 1935 it was extended to Gloucester, on the former route of the A419, and on to Ledbury and Hope under Dinmore.

There have been numerous upgrades and bypasses, particularly on the primary section. At Faringdon, its traditional route over Folly Hill and down through the market place has been blocked by the more recent development of the A420 and the road has been diverted to the south. The Birdlip bypass, opened in 1988, avoided a steep (16%) gradient as the road descended the Cotswold Edge escarpment to Brockworth.

On 31 December 2022, the 200-year old Air Balloon pub at Birdlip closed for the final time before demolition to allow the road to be upgraded.

Route

Streatley to Gloucester (M5)

The road runs north-west from Streatley at its junction with the A329 (between Reading and Wallingford) then turns west to Wantage, over the picturesque Berkshire Downs. In Wantage, it negotiates the market place (around King Alfred's statue). Soon after leaving Wantage it passes through East Challow village and runs north-west to Faringdon, via Stanford in the Vale. It leads on to Lechlade, where it crosses the River Thames at St John's Bridge. It then runs past the Cotswold Water Park, through the bottleneck of Fairford to Cirencester, and thence to Gloucester.

From the start of the Cirencester bypass as far as Gloucester, the A417 forms part of a dual-carriageway route (A419/A417) connecting the M4 (junction 15) with the M5 at Gloucester (junction 11A). At the A429 roundabout on the older Cirencester bypass, the A417 follows the A429 north for 0.5 miles (0.8 km), then resumes when it joins the newer bypass (which is also the A417). The 6-mile (9.7 km) Cirencester & Stratton Bypass opened on 9 December 1997. This route carries traffic between the ports of the south coast and the industrial Midlands. The 4-mile (6.4 km) dual-carriageway north of Stratton to Nettleton opened on 16 January 1998. The roundabout at the end of this section often has congestion during peak hours.

The 2-mile (3.2 km) £2.4m single-carriageway Birdlip bypass opened in December 1988. This point, before the Air Balloon roundabout, has a grand vista of the Severn Valley. After the roundabout and the (now demolished) Air Balloon pub, the road turns sharply and there is a steep downward gradient. This is a bottleneck at peak times, and plans for a dual-carriageway section here were included in a roads expansion programme pledged during the government's 2014 Autumn Statement for delivery during the following 5–8 years. Construction work to complete the 'missing link' between the end of the Brockworth Bypass and Cowley Roundabout began in 2023, with an expected completion date of Spring 2027. At the foot of the hill, the 3-mile (4.8 km) £36m Brockworth Bypass opened in December 1995, and included creation of junction 11a of the M5.

Gloucester (M5) to Hope under Dinmore

Through Gloucester, the road overlaps the A40 Gloucester northern bypass, and from a roundabout at the end of the bypass the road goes north-west through the village of Maisemore, past Hartpury College, then through the village of Hartpury. The A417 then passes through the twin villages of Corse and Staunton. It crosses the M50 Ross Spur motorway at junction 2, then meets the Ledbury bypass, where the road noticeably widens out, and has many large roundabouts. Between Gloucester and Ledbury there are many changes of speed limit. From Ledbury it goes west, overlapping the A438, then at a set of traffic lights known as the Trumpet crossroads, the A417 goes north-west along a more high-hedged, narrow road. It meets the A49 at a wide junction at Hope under Dinmore just south of Leominster.

Junctions

This article contains a bulleted list or table of intersections which should be presented in a properly formatted junction table. Please consult this guideline for information on how to create one. Please improve this article if you can. (December 2021)

See also

• British road numbering scheme

References

1. "Driving directions to A417". Google Maps. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
2. 1922 road list
3. "Landmark pub will be demolished to make way for new road". ITV News. 29 December 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
4. Ditchfield, P. H.; Page, William, eds. (1906). A History of Berkshire, vol. 1. (2 vols.) The Victoria History of the Counties of England. London: Archibald Constable and Co. p. 27. 
5. "Major roads investment in the south west". Gov.uk. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
6. "A417 proposals review" (PDF). Gloucestershire Ramblers. October 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
7. "Unofficial map of proposed routes". Google Maps. Retrieved 21 August 2022.

External links

• National Highways: A417 Missing Link scheme
• Kier / National Highways: A417 Missing Link progress, events, closures and diversions

v t e A roads in Zone 4 of the Great Britain road numbering scheme
	A4 A40 A41 A42 A43 A44 A45 A46 A47 A48 A49
	A400 A403 A404 A405 A406 A412 A413 A414 A415 A417 A418 A419 A420 A421 A422 A423 A426 A427 A428 A429 A431 A432 A433 A441 A442 A444 A445 A446 A448 A449 A452 A453 A454 A456 A458 A461 A465 A466 A468 A469 A470 A473 A474 A475 A476 A477 A478 A479 A482 A483 A485 A486 A487 A489 A490 A491 A493 A494 A496 A498 A499
	A4005 A4006 A4008 A4010 A4018 A4032 A4042 A4050 A4053 A4054 A4055 A4059 A4060 A4061 A4063 A4069 A4074 A4076 A4080 A4085 A4086 A4103 A4107 A4109 A4110 A4113 A4117 A4118 A4119 A4123 A4130 A4133 A4135 A4136 A4138 A4142 A4144 A4146 A4148 A4150 A4155 A4160 A4161 A4174 A4200 A4202 A4204 A4214 A4216 A4221 A4226 A4230 A4232 A4234 A4240 A4241 A4260 A4361 A4400 A4536 A4540
List of A roads in Zone 4 List of B roads in Zone 4

51°44′47″N 1°58′51″W / 51.74627°N 1.98097°W / 51.74627; -1.98097

• Roads in England
• Roads in Berkshire
• Transport in Gloucestershire
• Transport in Herefordshire
• Roads in Oxfordshire