Go-Ahead Given To A428 Black Cat To Caxton Gibbet Highway Scheme - Transport Planning Associates
by Liz Seyi Digital marketing managerThe
green light has been given to proposals to upgrade the route between the A1
Black Cat roundabout in Bedfordshire and the A428 Caxton Gibbet roundabout in Cambridgeshire,
entailing the creation of a new 10-mile dual carriageway linking the two.
A
development consent order has been granted by transport secretary Grant Shapps,
thereby clearing the way for the project that is aimed at addressing one of the
region’s most notorious congestion hotspots.
What
else is known about the scheme for which consent has been granted?
According
to National Highways, which put forward the plan, the upgrade work will involve
both existing roundabouts being transformed into modern, free-flowing
junctions, with a new junction added at Cambridge Road, in hopes of improving
access to St Neots and its railway station.
It is
intended that the scheme will help improve journeys in the locality by filling
in the missing link of dual carriageway on the strategic road network between
Milton Keynes and Cambridge. It is thought that drivers could save as much as
an hour and a half on their journeys every week as a result of the
upgrade.
What
factors led the Secretary of State to make his decision?
In
reaching his decision to approve the plans, Mr Shapps concluded that the
decarbonisation agenda was not a bar to new roads being built.
Furthermore,
while some of those responding to a public examination of the plans questioned
whether there was a need for the road given plans for East West Rail, the
transport secretary noted that “only a small proportion of the proposed
development’s traffic would reassign to the East West Rail scheme”.
Mr
Shapps also agreed that there had been an identification of biodiversity
measures, but that there was nonetheless a “minor increased risk of nitrogen
pollution to Madingley slip road roadside verge”.
“Good
for businesses and jobs”
National
Highways described the announcement of the transport secretary’s approval as “a
major milestone, not only for us, but also for the many local communities who
have long campaigned for improvements, as well as our stakeholders who we’ve
been working with for several years.”
The
government-owned company added that the upgrading of the route would be “good
for businesses and jobs, will improve safety and make journeys more
reliable.”
Construction
of the new dual carriageway and associated junction improvements is expected to
begin by the end of 2022, with an anticipated road opening in 2026.
Are you seeking out the expertise and experience of a transport planning and
infrastructure design consultancy that you can trust to provide the complete
service for your project, and perhaps looking to understand the implications of
development of your site? If so, you are very welcome to enquire to the Transport
Planning Associates team today for further information and guidance. We specialise in
providing advice to its clients on the transport infrastructure and highway
design requirements arising from the development of land and are skilled at
assessing the highway capacity implications of development proposals,
supporting Development Consent Order applications where appropriate.
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Created on Sep 20th 2022 07:24. Viewed 65 times.