Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

The Project

Update

On 20th October 2010, the Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed that the current A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton scheme was unaffordable under any reasonable future funding scenario; the full announcement can be found at http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=416118&NewsAreaId=2. As a result, the Secretary of State has cancelled the previously announced Public Inquiry and the Highways Agency (HA) has now formally withdrawn the draft Orders and the route protection. A copy of the letter can be downloaded from the Publications page.

The Secretary of State, in withdrawing this £1bn scheme, recognised that congestion remains a serious problem along the A14 corridor and said he remained committed to developing a solution. He has asked the DfT to undertake a study to identify cost effective and practical proposals which bring benefits and relieve congestion - looking across modes to ensure we develop sustainable proposals. In addition the Department has made available information on the withdrawn scheme, and this can be found here: 
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/a14-ellington-to-fen-ditton-information-pack/

Summary of withdrawn proposals

The A14 is an all-purpose dual carriageway road, running from M1/M6 motorway junction to Felixstowe Docks, a distance of approximately 130miles (210km).  The A14 is a road with national, regional and local functions. It is designated the main east-west strategic route between the east coast ports and the Midlands and had been identified as a priority Trans European Network (TEN) route.  The section of the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon also caters for north-south traffic between the A1(M) at Alconbury and M11 Junction 14.

The scheme consisted of the following items:

• A new two lane dual carriageway to the west of Huntingdon between Ellington and the A1.
• A new three lane dual carriageway between A1 and Fen Drayton around the south of Huntingdon and Godmanchester.
• Widening of the existing A14 to three lanes in each direction between Fen Drayton and Fen Ditton, a distance of approximately 11miles (17km).
• Local access roads alongside the widened A14 between Fen Drayton and M11 Junction 14 at Girton.
• Major interchanges with the A1 at Brampton, the existing A14 at Fen Drayton and the M11/A428 at Girton.
• Detrunking of the existing A14 between the A1 and Fen Drayton and removal of the Huntingdon Railway Viaduct to provide opportunities for regenerating Huntingdon town centre.

Draft Orders for the scheme were published on 30 September 2009. Draft Orders are required under the Highways Act 1980 in order to authorise the building of the scheme and to acquire any necessary land.