The route heads eastwards to pass to the south of communities of Horsham St Faith, Spixworth and Rackheath before joining the A47 Trunk Road at the existing Postwick Interchange.

When the DfT decision on the shorter NDR was announced in December 2009 there were calls from councillors for the section between the A1067 at Attlebridge and the A47 at Easton to also be built, known as the Norwich Western Link.

In early 2017 Norfolk County Council voted to make this project one of its three top highway priorities and £400,000 was made available to explore how the NDR could join the A47 to the west of Norwich.

[11] In August 2024, a consultation on the controversial proposal concluded, with government advisers lodging a formal objection which appears to have finally ended hopes for the extension.

[16] While the East of England allocated RFA revenue to the road in February 2009, the Department for Transport warned in July 2009 that "given the fiscal uncertainty, increasing carbon constraints and DaSTS work in hand, a 10-year programme [of funding] must necessarily remain provisional at this stage.

John Dowie, director of regional and local transport delivery for the DfT, said that "It would be open to Norfolk to review the Postwick Junction design and prepare an alternative option that is less dependent on the NNDR".

[18] In June 2009, the site was given the go-ahead from the Government, after receiving an A-grade listing, meaning the location would be generally suitable for an eco-town[19] Local campaigners said that relying on the NDR would make it unsustainable.

[23] In October 2010 Philip Hammond revealed that the scheme would be one of those competing for funding at the end of 2011 to be part of the second wave of transport projects given the go ahead by the coalition government.

[24] In late October 2010 Graham Plant, cabinet member for transport and travel at Norfolk County Council, told the Eastern Daily Press that the NDR was being reviewed because of budget cuts.

The scheme objectives, as laid out in the Major Scheme Business Case, are to: The Greater Norwich Development Partnership, a non-departmental public body which includes Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council, has described the dual carriageway as "an integral part of our plans to improve the local public transport network and reduce reliance on the private car.

[36] Campaign for Better Transport executive director Stephen Joseph criticised the scheme as poor use of funding when the DfT revealed the Norwich Northern Distributor Road was going ahead, while the Sustainable Travel Cities and Kickstart Bus programs were suspended.

[37] Despite the route having been changed so that it no longer crosses the River Wensum (a Site of Special Scientific Interest), some opponents argue that there would be pressure to extend the road across the valley in the future, see Norwich Western Link.