Photographs show route of new A140 Long Stratton bypass

The aerial shots, taken by photographer Mike Page, capture the preparatory work which has been done in fields ahead of the beginning of the road's construction.

And the photographs clearly show where the new, two-and-a-half-mile, single-carriageway road would split from the existing A140 and cross over fields.

A new junction will be built at Church Lane and the new road will be built on the east side of Long Stratton, rejoining the A140 just south of Oakside Farm.

Work on the Long Stratton bypass is due to begin later this spring (Image: Mike Page)

Grahame Bygrave, interim executive director of community and environmental services, said: "We have the contractor in place and have completed the necessary site clearance ready to begin the main construction.

"Further utility works and site preparations are currently ongoing while we await confirmation of our final business case from the government, but we remain in the strongest possible position to begin delivery of this vital new infrastructure without delay later this spring."

Work to build the new road is likely to last for 18 months, with the bypass open to traffic by the end of next year.

An artist's impression of the Long Stratton bypass (Image: Norfolk County Council)

The government announced in 2021 it would give £26.2m towards the road, but the bill has since risen to £46.9m.

Some of the project's cost will be covered from developer contributions, with the project linked to the construction of 1,800 homes on land nearby, but millions will have to be borrowed.

The county council is hoping the government's decision to scrap part of the HS2 rail link will make more money available for the bypass scheme - and for the Norwich Western Link.

But Department for Transport officials have yet to confirm whether extra money will be made available.