The A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme is England’s largest road project and construction work could start next year.
It is anticipated that at least two contractors will be appointed, due to the size of the scheme.
The improvement scheme will involve a new major bypass between Swavesey and Brampton, widening the A1 between Brampton and Alconbury, widening the existing A14 between Swavesey and Girton, improving the junctions at Bar Hill, Swavesey and Girton, Huntingdon town centre improvements to include the demolition of the viaduct and a new local access road.
The plans will be examined by the government’s Planning Inspectorate as part of an application for a development consent order.
If the order is granted, then work on the new scheme could get underway in 2016. The new bypass and widened A14 would be open to traffic in 2020. Work to demolish the viaduct over the East Coast Mainline at Huntingdon, along with de-trunking of the A14 between Huntingdon and Swavesey, would then get underway.
Last year the Highways Agency received over 1,400 responses, including 1,152 completed questionnaires, during a formal consultation on the scheme which could cost up to £1.5bn. As a result of the responses several design changes were made to the proposal.
Many of the changes were relatively minor such as junction and side road layouts, private accesses and environmental mitigation. A few others, including changes to the arrangements in the Ouse Valley south of Brampton, are more significant. The new proposals comprise a nine-span viaduct over the Ouse, a shorter length of embankment, a further five-span viaduct across the Ouse floodplain, a second short length of embankment and a single-span bridge over the railway. This will have less impact on the floodplain.
At Brampton the positions of the A1 and A14 has changed to provide environmental benefits to Brampton village and to remove the previously proposed loop for A14 westbound to A1 northbound traffic.
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