A140 road

UK road routebox
road= A140
length-mi= 56
length-km= 90
direction= South-North
start= Needham Market
destinations= Diss Norwich
end= Cromer
construction-date=
completion-date=
junctions= ukroadsmall|11
ukroadsmall|14
ukroadsmall|47
ukroadsmall|143
ukroadsmall|146
ukroadsmall|148
ukroadsmall|149
ukroadsmall|1042
ukroadsmall|1047
ukroadsmall|1066
ukroadsmall|1067
ukroadsmall|1120

The A140 is an 'A-class' road in Norfolk and Suffolk, East Anglia, England. It runs from the A14 near Needham Market to the A149 south of Cromer. It is of primary status for the entirety of its route. It is approximately 56 miles (90km) in length. There are 33 road junctions, and many driveway accesses to private dwellinghouses, and the route is crossed by 37 footpaths and bridleways and 3 designated cycle routes.

Route

Ipswich to Diss

The road starts as dual carriageway from junction 51 with the A14; it then travels north to its junction with the A1120. It then continues to the Suffolk contryside providing access to the villages of Little Stonham, Mendlesham and Mendlesham Green. It passes through Brockford Street (where it crosses the River Dove), Thwaite, Stoke Ash, Thornham Parva, Yaxley and Brome where it meets its junction with the B1077. One mile later it reaches a roundabout with the A143 - where it enters Norfolk and becomes dual carriageway - and a second in Scole links it with the A1066. This section of road bypasses Diss.

Diss to Norwich

The road passes through Thelveston after which it meets a roundabout in Dickleburgh marking the end of the dual carriageway. It continues north to a junction with the B1134, a few miles later it enters Long Stratton, Stratton Saint Michael, Upper Tasburgh, Saxlingham Thorpe and Swanslinthorpe. Shortly after it crosses the A47 and River Yare. South of Norwich it turns left making up the west portion of the outer ring road. In the ring road it has junctions with the A11, B1108, A1047, A1067 and other unnumbered roads.

Norwich to Cromer

North of Norwich it passes Norwich Airport and the Park and ride before reaching the roundabout with the B1149 which is adjacent to Manor Park, home of Norfolk County Cricket Club. It heads north close to Horsham St Faith and then Newton St Faith. Passing through mixed woodland close to the villages of Hainford, Stratton Strawless, Hevingham and Marsham. Before reaching the roundabout on the southern outskirts of Aylsham where it turns east to join the Aylsham by-pass and then pass the B1354 before crossing the River Bure and the junction of the B1145 close to Banningham. From here it heads in a northerly direction close to the villages of Erpingham and Alby with Thwaite, passing through Roughton where it meets the B1436 and then merge with the A149 road

Campaign for Safety

In Suffolk there is an on going campaign to make the road safer. The road is the main route between Norwich and Ipswich resulting in a heavy weight of traffic on a largely single carriageway road. In the time 1980 to 2002 there were 815 accidents 54 of them causing 1 or more fatality there were in total 71 deaths and 1419 incidents. [http://www.a140.org.uk/index.asp]

The 1986 Government White Paper "Roads For Prosperity" proposed the dualling of the entire Suffolk stretch of the A140 from its junction with the A14 (then the A45) and Scole. This proposal was never pursued.

The campaign led to a blanket 50mph speed limit being introduced along the entire Suffolk stretch of the A140, with the limit reducing to 30mph through the villages of Earl Stonham and Brockford (with 40mph 'buffers' either side), and 40mph through Brome.

Whilst this did bring about a significant reduction in accidents, drivers criticised the changes, on the basis that they had to spend so much time watching their speedometers that they were distracted from driving. As a result, Suffolk County Council removed the 40mph buffers in early 2007, extending the 30mph zones slightly at the same time.

External links

* [http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/roadlists/r10/notes.php?number=A140 SABRE Roads by 10 - A140]