Lane of A47 to close overnight for �50m Norwich to Wisbech power line upgrade

A LANE of the A47 will be closed tomorrow night as part of a �50million power line upgrade and refurbishment project between Norwich and Fenland.

The road at Tilney St Lawrence will be reduced to a single carriageway (with temporary traffic signals) from 8pm on Saturday until 6am on Sunday.

National Grid is carrying out work on an eight-month project to rewire the 52-mile high-voltage line, running between Norwich and Walpole. Engineers are renewing the conductors (wires) and fittings and carrying out strengthening work on some of the 224 pylons that carry the wires.

Project manager Simon Chandler said: “It’s National Grid’s job to connect people to the energy they use, and this work will help to ensure that our electricity supply continues to serve us safely, reliably and efficiently for decades to come, securing our energy supply for future generations.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused, but the road and lane closures are essential for the safety of the public and our workforce. We will make every effort to complete the work as safely, quickly and efficiently as possible.”

The 400,000-volt power line was built in the early 1960s and now needs refurbishing. The work will enable National Grid to increase the capacity of the line and the network in East Anglia to secure future energy supplies.