The A417 Missing Link is a nickname for the notorious single-carriageway bottleneck between the Brockworth bypass and Cowley roundabout in Gloucestershire, near the Air Balloon pub. (Image: Newsquest)But some work by National Highways to improve the A417 Missing Link has recently reopened, leading some to question where it gets its name from. Where does the A417 Missing Link carriageway name come from? It’s called the A417 “Missing Link” because this short section near Birdlip is the only part of the wider A417/A419 route that wasn’t upgraded to dual carriageway. At this point, the “Missing Link” will cease to be a gap and become part of a continuous dual‑carriageway route between Gloucester and the M4.