The A417 is a main road in England running from Streatley, Berkshire to Hope under Dinmore, Herefordshire. It is best known for its section between Cirencester and Gloucester where it has primary status and forms part of the link between the major settlements of Swindon and Gloucester. History When the A417 was first designated in 1922, it ran only from Streatley to Cirencester. In 1935 it was extended to Gloucester, on the former route of the A419, and on to Ledbury and Hope under Dinmore. There have been numerous upgrades and bypasses, particularly on the primary section. At Faringdon, its traditional route over Folly Hill and down through the market place has been blocked by the more recent development of the A420 and has been diverted to the south. The Birdlip bypass, opened in 1988, avoided a very steep (16%) gradient as the road descended the Cotswold Edge escarpment to Brockworth. On 31 December 2022, the 200-year old Air Balloon pub at Birdlip closed for the final time before demolition for the road to be upgraded. Route Streatley to Gloucester (M5) The road runs north-west from Streatley at its junction with the A329 (between Reading and Wallingford) then turns west to Wantage, over the picturesque Berkshire Downs. In Wantage, it negotiates the market place (around King Alfred's statue). Soon after leaving Wantage it passes through East Challow village and runs north-west to Faringdon, via Stanford in the Vale. It leads on to Lechlade, where it crosses the River Thames at St. John's Bridge. It then runs past the Cotswold Water Park, through the bottleneck of Fairford to Cirencester and thence to Gloucester. From the start of the Cirencester bypass to Gloucester, the A417 forms part of a major new dual-carriageway route (A419/A417) connecting the M4 (junction 15) with the M5 at Gloucester (junction 11A). At the A429 roundabout on the older Cirencester bypass, the A417 follows the A429 north for , then resumes when it joins the newer bypass (which is also the A417). The Cirencester & Stratton Bypass opened on 9 December 1997. This route carries traffic between the ports of the south coast and the industrial Midlands. The dual-carriageway north of Stratton to Nettleton Improvement opened on 16 January 1998. The roundabout at the end of this section often has congestion during peak hours. The £2.4m single-carriageway Birdlip bypass opened in December 1988. This point, before the Air