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| Route information | |
| Length | 56 mi (90 km) |
| Major junctions | |
| South end | Needham Market |
| Major intersections | A11 A14 Junction 51  A47 A143 A146 A149 A1042 A1074 A1066 A1067 A1120 |
| North end | Cromer |
| Location | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Primary destinations | Diss Norwich Aylsham Cromer (Ipswich) |
| Road network | |
TheA140 is an'A-class' road inNorfolk andSuffolk, East Anglia, England partly following the route of the RomanPye Road. It runs from theA14 nearNeedham Market to theA149 south ofCromer. It is ofprimary status for the entirety of its route. It is approximately 56 miles (90 km) in length.
The road starts asdual carriageway from junction 51 with theA14 road; it then travels north to its junction with theA1120. It then continues to the Suffolk countryside providing access to the villages ofLittle Stonham,Mendlesham andMendlesham Green. It passes throughBrockford Street (where it crosses theRiver Dove),Thwaite,Stoke Ash,Thornham Parva,Yaxley andBrome where it meets its junction with theB1077. One mile (1.6 km) later it reaches aroundabout with theA143 – where it enters Norfolk and becomes dual carriageway – and a second outsideScole links it with theA1066. This section of road bypassesScole to the east ofDiss.
The road bypassesScole and thenThelveton after which it meets a roundabout marking the end of the dual carriageway. It continues north, bypassingDickleburgh, to a junction with theB1134, a few miles later it entersLong Stratton,Stratton Saint Michael,Upper Tasburgh,Saxlingham Thorpe,Newton Flotman andSwainsthorpe. Shortly after it crosses theA47 at the Harford Interchange andRiver 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 theA11,B1108,A1074,A1067 and other unnumbered roads.
North of Norwich it passesNorwich Airport and theNorwich airport park and ride before reaching the roundabout with theB1149 which is adjacent to Manor Park, home of theNorfolk County Cricket Club. It heads north close toHorsham St Faith and thenNewton St Faith. The road passes throughmixed woodland close to the villages ofHainford,Stratton Strawless,Hevingham andMarsham. Before reaching the roundabout on the southern outskirts ofAylsham where it turns east to join the Aylsham by-pass and then pass theB1354 before crossing theRiver Bure and the junction of theB1145 close toBanningham. From here it heads in a northerly direction close to the villages ofErpingham andAlby with Thwaite, passing throughRoughton where it meets theB1436 and then merging with theA149 road.
The A140 formed part of a Roman road, known later asPye Road which ran fromCamulodunum (Colchester) toVenta Icenorum (nearNorwich).[1][2]
The southern section from the junction with the A14 toScole once formed part of Suffolk's firstturnpike trust in which ran from Ipswich to Scole (and also from Claydon toStowmarket andHaughley). The trust was either established in 1741[3] (or in 1711[4]). A turnpike trust was established from Scole Bridge to Norwich by act of parliament much later in 1826.[5] Most turnpikes in Suffolk were removed in the 1870s. The 1826 Act was not however officially repealed until 2008 by theStatute Law (Repeals) Act 2008.[6]
In 1986 the government'sRoads for ProsperityWhite Paper proposed the dualling of the entire Suffolk stretch of the A140 from its junction with theA14 (then theA45) andScole. This proposal was never pursued.
Between 1997 and 2003 (78 months) there were 9 fatalities, 36 serious and 147 slight injuries on the road and as a result in 2004 a temporary 50 mph speed limit was introduced on the Suffolk section and permanent 30 mph through the villages ofEarl Stonham andBrockford and 40 mph throughBrome. The 30 mph zones had 40 mph 'buffers' either side.[7][8] Between 2006 and 2008 Suffolk County Council removed a number of 40 mph buffers to "improve compliance and understanding" and extended some 30 mph zones slightly at the same time.[9]
In February 2016, Nicholas Churchill, a disgruntled middle aged construction worker stole his employer's mining truck and drove for about 50 km on this highway and other roads. During this time, he drove into various structures and police vehicles. He finally stopped the truck in Brandon where he was arrested.[10]
A long-standing development proposal for the A140 is a bypass for the village ofLong Stratton. In 2002Norfolk County Council held a public consultation which resulted in a preferred route being selected in 2003, which bypassed to the east of the village. A planning application for the scheme was submitted in 2004 and the application was approved in February 2005.[11] However, changes in the way road schemes are funded meant that no central government funding was approved. Since then Norfolk County Council has been able to secure funding and the bypass is completed .[12]
52°31′09″N1°15′19″E / 52.5192°N 1.25536°E /52.5192; 1.25536