The project has reached the halfway point
Work is continuing on what’s believed to be the UK’s most expensive road project, after construction crews reached a major milestone, reports the Express. National Highways’ £1billion A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet project began in January last year, with the aim of improving the quality of the A428 and alleviating congestion between Cambridge and Milton Keynes.
The A428 between St Neots and Caxton Gibbet is the only stretch of single carriageway between the M1 near Milton Keynes and Cambridge. The work is turning it into a dual carriageway to remove bottlenecks that have long caused congestion. Anticipated growth in local housing and jobs could bring further traffic between Cambridge Road and Caxton Gibbet, further enforcing the need for greater capacity.
In October it was announced that the halfway point the construction improvements had been reached, with National Highways saying workers had made “great progress on the 10-mile Bedfordshire-Cambridgeshire dual carriageway” which includes “major work at key locations such as the Black Cat junction upgrade”.
It said it had also opened a new junction at Cambridge Road in St Neots, with work continuing at Caxton Gibbet roundabout. The work is expected to be finished in 2027.
In the update, National Highways listed what had been achieved so far, including that it had moved “7.1 million tonnes of earth to lay foundations for the new dual carriageway, link roads and structures”, as well as laying 60,000 tonnes of asphalt to create smooth services at three key points including:
- Black Cat roundabout
- the new Cambridge Road junction
- Eltisley, and Caxton Gibbet roundabout
The Government company, which operates, maintains and improves England’s motorways and major A roads said it had also successfully diverted over 27 miles of utilities including:
- broadband
- gas
- water
- and power
National Highways said at that stage it had also lifted 84 bridge beams into place on thirteen structures across the scheme, as well as installing 11 miles of new drainage systems.
National Highways Project Director Lee Galloway said at the time: “It’s brilliant to see how much has been delivered as we reach the halfway point in construction.
“Motorists who regularly travel on the route will already see major visible changes. It’s a powerful testament to the hard work, expertise, and dedication of everyone involved. This means we remain on track to open in spring 2027.”
Mr Galloway said the end result will be a” smoother, safer, and more free-flowing road network”. He added: “This is now firmly in sight and we’re grateful for the ongoing understanding and support from the local community and road users.”
