Highways Agency

Public information - november 2004

Public Information - November 2004

View this information as a PDF (244KB PDF).

Pre-works Exhibition

This exhibition marks the beginning of the first stage of work on the A14 Rookery Crossroads safety scheme. It explains how it will be built, the programme of work, and howconstruction may affect you.

Representatives from the Highways Agency, our agents, Mouchel Parkman, and contractor, Mowlem PLC, are here to meet you and discuss the improvements being made and answer any questions.

The contract for the scheme was awarded to Mowlem PLC, on 18th August 2004. The improvements are due to be completed by early Autumn 2005.

Brief Scheme Description

The safety scheme will reduce accidents and increase safety along a 1.5 mile (2.5km) stretch of the A14 east of Bury St Edmunds, from Two Mile Spinney to Home Farm at Rougham including the Rookery Crossroads.

Construction

A two level junction will be built at Rookery Crossroads, where the A14 trunk road will be raised by 2 metres. Sow Lane, which is currently divided by the A14, will be lowered by 4.5 metres creating an underpass for road users and pedestrians. Connecting roads will be built to allow safe access to and from the A14 and local roads.

At Two Mile Spinney, the central reserve gap will be closed and the A14 carriageway re-aligned to make it straighter. The side road that currently accesses the A14 will be closed and will become a new underpass and bridleway.

At Home Farm, the existing footpaths will be re-routed over the farm bridge providing a safe crossing for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. The slip roads at this location will be improved for traffic leaving or joining the A14.

The Benefits

The scheme will reduce accidents on the A14 in the area and improve road safety. Better access will be provided to and from the A14 and the realignment of part of the A14 will improve driver visibility of the road ahead.

Non-road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders will be able to cross the A14 at several points by using underpasses or bridges.

Environment

During the public consultation in 1994, concern was expressed about the environmental impacts of the scheme. The two level junction was redesigned and is now more compact, less obtrusive and requires less land. Throughout the design period, environmental experts carried out extensive surveys and identified means of mitigating the damage as much as possible. Over 18,000 new trees will be planted as part of the scheme in addition to other landscaping to help integrate the new junction. Experts will be on site to advise on environmental aspects of the scheme as it progresses.

Traffic Management during construction

To keep traffic flowing during busy periods, two lanes of the A14 will be open in both directions between Home Farm and the Rookery Crossroads on weekdays from 06:00hrs until20:00hrs. There will be narrow lanes on this section of the A14 and a 40mph speed restriction with safety cameras will be in place for the safety of the workforce and road users. Therewill be occasional overnight and weekend lane closures.

We have planned the traffic management to cause the least disruption to road users and local residents and it will be monitored and altered if necessary.

There may be occasional closures of certain accesses on and off of the A14 to local villages at different stages of the scheme. When these happen, diversion routes will be clearly signed and advance warning given.

Keeping you in touch

We propose to keep you updated on the progress of the works in various ways.

Regular updates will be published on this website.

We shall be putting updates on notice boards in the area, and sending them to Rougham Parish Council.

We may carry out letter drops to the whole area when appropriate to advise of particular stages of the scheme and how it may affect travelling in the area.

The site office is based on Sow Lane on the South-west side of the A14 and you will be able to contact the site team on 01359 271726. If your call cannot be answered, you will be connected to an answering machine where you will be able to leave a message. You can write to the site office at Mowlem plc, Site Offices, A14 Rookery Crossroads, Rougham Road, Rougham, Suffolk IP30 9JA.

If you need to contact the Highways Agency scheme team rather than the site team, you can contact us in the following ways.

By telephone:
Contact Mike Hall, Project Sponsor on Switchboard – 08459 556575
Highways Agency Information Line: 08457 50 40 30

By email: a14rookerycrossroadsGSJ@highways.gsi.gov.uk

Or write to: Mike Hall - Project Sponsor
A14 Rookery Crossroads
Highways Agency, Heron House,
49/53 Goldington Road, Bedford, MK40 3LL