The (potential) coming of the road

I live in the far east of Norwich and life dictates that every so often I need to drive to the north or northwest - or even north by north west - suburbs of the city. Or may be even a trip to the country like Blickling, or the sea like Cromer or Wells. These trips necessitate using one of several possible routes. These are either mainstream and busy and a longer distance, or cross suburb and cross country, more direct on the map but may have traffic lights, 20 mph zones and traffic calming, or very twisty, narrow country lanes. Either way, the amount of wasted fuel and unnecessary carbon generated are excessive.

Relief is possibly going to arrive with the Northern Distributor Road - a strange name for a northern bypass. In fact on a par with the whole complicated concept of what should be quite straightforward.

What do I want? I want to get onto a decent fast road quite near home, preferably a dual carriageway, that will take me around the north of the city, allowing me to come off at any of the main roads that go north from the city. If it allowed me to go as far as the westbound A47 at Easton that would be a bonus - although of course for anyone living in the north of the city that would be an essential. It would be good if it provided a fast route to the nearest access to the southern bypass, or at least didn't destroy the current fast access through a country lane.

What are we likely to get ? A road around the north of the city, that will let me off at the main roads going north. Dual carriageway for most of its length. The western end of the road won't go all the way to the A47, but will stop short north of the river "for environmental reasons". Apparently one of the existing ways to cross the river, all country lanes, will be chosen & enhanced to provide a suitable route. I find it hard to believe that this will be less environmentally damaging than a beautiful new bridge which could float above the environmentally sensitive areas. But someone somewhere knows better. I bet the residents along the existing small roads that may be used for this are humming quietly to themselves and building their energies for lining the new route with placards as the lorries roll past.

There are some good pictures of the proposed road in the landscape on the County Council website. Try www.norfolk.gov.uk/ndr and select "proposed route" from the left hand column. Plans 10,11 & 12 show my local bits of the proposed road.

Will we get the road ? Not if the greens have their way. They think it will lead to more traffic and want us all to use our bikes & public transport. Or presumably, being a bit more realistic, to continue to drive the routes we do now, pouring pollution & carbon on the city streets where people live rather than being able to drive at a steady speed with minimal fuel use.

I look forward to the road arriving. In my life I've made a habit of moving from a town just as the new bypass arrives - looks like that may be what happens here. Ho hum.

The title is taken from one of my favourite songs sung by Judy Collins, written by Billy Ed Wheeler - Coming of the Roads. The lyric content isn't totally appropriate to my view on this particular road as it's a lament to a new mountain road that brought deforestation and loss. It's a very haunting song and the title holds that quality.