The Norfolk County Council is starting a road improvement project on Yarmouth Road in Thorpe St Andrew to improve bus reliability and reduce congestion. The works are due to begin on 2 June 2025 and focus on the mini-roundabout junction with Pound Lane, removing ‘pinch points’ that delay public transport.
Works will widen the mini-roundabout at Pound Lane and extend the turning lanes on the approaches to reduce delays for buses. A signal-controlled Puffin crossing — which uses sensors to detect pedestrians and can hold traffic until people have finished crossing — will replace the existing zebra crossing to improve pedestrian safety.
The council says the measures are expected to deliver journey time savings of around 3–8 minutes based on similar schemes, and to improve reliability on key routes. Some local business owners have expressed concerns about the loss of roadside parking. Rebecca Mann, owner of the Sunkissed tanning salon, told local media that the introduction of new double yellow lines ‘will result in customers having less space to park.’
Thorpe St Andrew Town Council and transport notices say major junction closures are expected in January 2026 (anticipated 19–30 January 2026), which will require diversions for several local bus services. Residents who use public transport should check First Bus for service updates and diversions; Norfolk County Council and town council notices also warn that some local road restrictions related to the scheme could remain in place until 15 May 2027.
For more details, see the Norfolk County Council project page and the local consultation materials.
