Highways Agency

Options Considered

Several options have beenconsidered and some of themhave already been rejected.Options have been rejectedeither because they did notsolve the existing problems orbecause they offer fewadvantages and moredisadvantages than otheroptions. Rejected options arediscussed overleaf.

Preferred options arepresented in this leaflet. Theyall provide a two-lane dualcarriageway from CaxtonGibbet to the existing dualcarriageway at Hardwick.Access to the dual carriagewaywould only be at CaxtonGibbet roundabout, at thenew Cambourne junction andat a new two level junction tobe provided at Hardwick.Roundabouts forming part ofthe junction at Hardwickwould be lit, but the dualcarriageway would not be lit.No property demolition wouldbe necessary.

The Highways Agency's studies showthat the financial benefits of a dualcarriageway to road users wouldmore than pay for the Improvement.

Preferred Options

For ease of explanation, theImprovement can be divided intothree parts:

Western Section, between CaxtonGibbet roundabout and the dualcarriageway at Cambourne. Twooptions have been considered, oneon the line of the existing trunkroad (purple) and the other to thenorth (light blue). The on-lineoption would use the existing trunkroad as one carriageway and newaccesses would be constructed foradjacent property.

Central Section, immediately east ofthe proposed dual carriageway atCambourne. One option ispresented (yellow). This connects tothe dual carriageway at Cambourneand runs to the south of the existingtrunk road to just before ChilderleyGate, where the option moves tothe north of the existing trunk road.

East of the junction at Cambourne,the existing trunk road would beleft in place so that a local roadwould be available betweenCambourne and Cambridge to beused by local traffic, cyclists andpublic transport. Bridges would beprovided to ensure that all localroutes would remain open.

Eastern Section, near Hardwick.Two options are presented withsimilar alignments. One offers a fulljunction (pink) and the other a partial junction (dark blue).The partial junction would restrictsome traffic from joining or leavingthe dual carriageway at Hardwick.

Comparison of Preferred Options

Costs given below are works costs.

Western Section

The off-line (light blue) option;

• is 1.47km (0.91miles) long andwould cost £2.7 million
• would allow the existing trunkroad to be used for access toadjacent property
• would require 9.0 hectares ofagricultural land but wouldleave most existing roadsidevegetation intact

The on-line (purple) option;

• is 1.42km (0.88miles) long andwould cost £2.4 million
• would be adjacent to property andwould require provision of newaccesses at the rear of property
• would require 3.9 hectares ofagricultural land and wouldremove some existing roadsidevegetation on the north side ofthe existing trunk road
• would use the existing trunk roadas one carriageway

Central Section

The south (yellow) option;

• is 3.51km (2.18miles) long andwould cost £11.9 million
• would require 8.9 hectares ofland from the CambourneDevelopment and 8.7hectares from Bourn Airfield
• would remove 0.7 hectaresof Knapwell Plantation
• would leave the existingtrunk road in place to beused by local traffic

Eastern Section

Both Eastern Section optionsare 2.65km (1.65miles) long.Both would remove the edgeof Whitepits Plantation.

The full junction (pink) option;

• would cost £6.9 million
• would require 32.8 hectaresof agricultural land
• would allow traffic to join andleave the dual carriagewayfrom all directions

The partial junction(dark blue) option;

• would cost £6.1 million
• would require 25.6 hectaresof agricultural land
• would not allow traffictravelling towardsCambridge to leave the dualcarriageway, or allow traffictravelling towards St Neotsto join the dual carriageway.Traffic wishing to make thesemovements would need touse the junctions at eitherCambourne or Madingley

Reducing the Impact ofthe Preferred Options

Effects on the Environmentwould be reduced by;

• minimising impact onproperty and ecology andretaining existing roadsidevegetation where possible
• implementation of acarefully designed landscapescheme which would includesubstantial areas of newplanting and some earthmounds to help screen theroad and blend it into thesurroundings

What Benefits wouldbe Achieved?

The preferred options would;

• increase the capacity of thetrunk road allowing it toaccomodate the predictedincrease in traffic
• improve safety for localtraffic which would beseparated from long distancetrunk road traffic

This would lead to

• reduced congestion
• reduction in the numberof accidents

Environmental Effects

Although no landscape orconservation sites of nationalimportance are present in thevicinity of the road, carefulconsideration has been givento the followingenvironmental issues;

Landscape

All options, apart from part ofthe Central Section throughBourn Airfield, would bewithin the Area of BestLandscape as designated byCambridgeshire CountyCouncil. The Eastern Sectionalso encroaches into the GreenBelt. There would be some lossof existing vegetationincluding some trees havingTree Preservation Orders.Some existing views fromproperties and public rights ofway would be adverselyaffected but these effectswould be reduced, particularlyin the long term, by theproposed planting.

Land Use

The Western and EasternSection options would causethe loss of some agriculturalland and some disruption tofarming. The Central Sectionwould take land from theCambourne development andfrom Bourn Airfield.

Water Quality and Drainage

Appropriate measures wouldbe taken to ensure thatdrainage from the roadscheme would not adverselyaffect watercourses or groundwater sources.

Traffic Noise

With the predicted growth intraffic volume over time,traffic noise levels wouldincrease even if noimprovement were to becarried out. No propertieswould be expected toexperience a greater increasein noise due to theImprovement and many inHardwick would benefit dueto the increased distance fromthe trunk road.

Air Quality

Any increase in congestion willresult in an increase in airpollution. Therefore alloptions would provide animprovement in air quality,partly because the road ismoved further away fromproperty but also due toreductions in congestion.

Cultural Heritage

Some potential archaeologicalsites currently identified bycrop marks would be affected.

Disruption during Construction

The proposed options are generallyaway from the line of the existingtrunk road and would thereforecause little disruption duringconstruction. Local disruption mayoccur at bridge sites, near toproperty and in the Western Sectionwith the on-line option.

Pedestrians, Cyclists and Equestrians

The existing trunk road wouldremain intact and provide a saferroute for these road users. A bridgewould be provided at the footpathcrossing at Hardwick.

Ecology and Nature Conservation

All options would affect existingtrees, hedges and roadsidevegetation which will have animpact on wildlife habitats. Theextensive areas of proposed newplanting, using locally native species, will in time create new wildlifehabitats. There may also be someeffect on badger feeding areas.

Rejected Options

Two dual carriageway optionshave been considered for theCentral Section and have alreadybeen rejected.

An on-line option followed the lineof the existing A428 and used theexisting trunk road as onecarriageway. This option wasrejected because;

• it would not separate local andlong distance traffic
• it would have an adverse impacton property and private accesses
• it would remove long sections ofexisting roadside vegetation

A northern option kept the existingtrunk road intact for local traffic butwas rejected because;

• it would sever agricultural landfrom the rest of the farms
• it would affect more of theArea of Best Landscape thanother options
• it offered no significantadvantages over the southernroute (yellow) which is presentedin this leaflet for your comment

Cross Sections

When the results of thisconsultation have been carefullyconsidered, the Secretary of Statefor the Department of theEnvironment, Transport and theRegions will decide whether toproceed with the scheme and, if so,announce his preferred route whichwould then be developed in detail.

This would lead in due course to thepublication of draft Orders and anEnvironmental Statement. TheOrders would be open to objectionand a Public Inquiry could follow.Any comment you make now willnot affect your right to object at alater stage.

Your Views

If you have any comments orsuggestions regarding the proposals,please complete the enclosedquestionnaire. You can post it freeof charge, or put it in the boxprovided at the Exhibitions. Closingdate for replies is 17 December 1999.100746hi

Further Information

Free exhibitions of the proposalswill be held in Hardwick andBourn at the following times:

Hardwick Pavilion

Friday 12 November 1999
1pm - 8pm

Saturday 13 November 1999
10am - 4pm

Bourn Village Hall

Thursday 25 November 1999
1pm - 8pm

Friday 26 November 1999
10am - 4pm

Representatives of the HighwaysAgency and their ConsultingEngineers will be available at theexhibition to explain the options.

A report summarising theinformation gathered so far willbe available for inspection at theexhibitions and at the followingvenues until 17 December 1999.

Cambridgeshire County Council
Local Government Information Service, Room 022
Shire Hall
Castle Hill
Cambridge
CB3 0AP

South Cambridgeshire DistrictCouncil
South Cambridgeshire Hall
9 - 11 Hills Road
Cambridge
CB2 1PB

Bourn Post Office, Short Street

Hardwick Post OfficeCambridge Road

Papworth Everard Post Office,Ermine Street North

Cambourne Concept Centre

Cambridge Central Library

The Highways Agency
Heron House
49-53 Goldington Road
Bedford
MK40 3LL