A new speed camera captured over 10,000 drivers speeding in less than a year. After the number of motorists caught breaking 40 mph limits was revealed, there are fears that speeding drivers could kill roadworkers on the A417 Missing Link project in Gloucestershire.
Gloucestershire police said that more than 13,000 drivers have been prosecuted for speeding through the roadworks. And the message from National Highways is: ‘Kill your speed, not one of our roadworkers’. The £460 million landscape-led National Highways scheme will deliver four miles of new dual carriageway, improving safety and reducing congestion, while seeking to conserve and enhance the Cotswolds National Landscape. For safety during the works, average speed cameras were installed in 2024, and figures from Gloucestershire Police show that since November, more than 13,000 drivers have already been caught speeding. The A417 Missing Link has two 40mph sections. The first one is between the Highwayman Inn/Elkstone junction and Nettleton Bottom, and on the Crickley Hill section between the A46 and Air Balloon roundabout. Celine Acard, Senior Project Manager for National Highways, said: “Safety is our number one priority.
“Tens of thousands of people use these sections of the A417 every day, but for the sake of shaving an extra minute or two off their journey times, some drivers are putting their own safety and the safety of our roadworkers at risk.
“Our staff and contractors are working around the clock to complete this project as quickly as possible, and they’re entitled to do that safely without the threat of being maimed or killed by someone recklessly speeding through the roadworks.”
Speed limit enforcement is a police matter, and National Highways is responsible for operating and managing motorways and major A roads.
Deputy PCC and Chair of Gloucestershire’s Road Safety Partnership Nick Evans said: “It may be a cliché, but speed limits are there for a reason; to keep everyone on our roads safe. That’s especially important around roadworks, where roadworkers are incredibly vulnerable, and the road is not in its normal state.
That is why National Highways has installed cameras along this section while the vitally important and long-awaited works on the Missing Link are completed.
“Too many people are killed and seriously injured on Gloucestershire’s roads, which is why the road safety partnership is specifically targeting dangerous behaviours and places on our road network to prevent more families from suffering the heartache of losing a loved one on our roads.
“Personally, I would rather that no one were caught by these cameras, as it would mean that everyone is driving on this section of road with proper regard for the safety of others.
“So please allow a little more time for your journey and think of the workers by the side of the road who, just like you, have families that are expecting them home.”
National Highways is reminding drivers that they are putting their own safety at risk by speeding through roadworks. The speed limits for specific roadworks are chosen carefully.
National Highways says complying with the 40mph speed limit adds less than a minute to drivers’ journeys and spares them the inconvenience of a £100 fine and three licence penalty points.
Close to half of road collisions involve speeding, and collisions can be reduced if people drive at speeds that reflect the road environment and weather conditions.
Speed cameras in roadworks also help improve safety and smooth traffic flow. The project is due to be open to traffic in spring 2027.