Put your question about the A14 improvements to the Highways Agency: web chat, 4 June
With just over two weeks to go before the consultation into the £1.5 billion plans for the A14 in Cambridgeshire closes, the Highways Agency is urging people to get involved and voice their views.
The A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme consultation started on 7 April and ends on Sunday 15 June. So far around 2,000 members of the public have visited the exhibitions, and the Agency has received more than 500 responses about their plans.
For those who want to ask the Agency a question in cyberspace, the final live web chat will take place on 4 June from 4pm to 5pm. It will be accessible via the Highways Agency’s website.
Mike Evans from the Highways Agency will be there to answer your questions, which can be submitted in advance by emailing A14CambridgeHuntingdon@highways.gsi.gov.uk or by registering on the day via website.
The last few exhibitions also take place this weekend. The A14 project team and their designers will be there to talk through the plans and answer any questions:
- Friday 30 May, 15:00 to 19:00 - Boxworth Village Hall, St Peter, Boxworth
- Saturday 31 May, 10:00 to 14:00 - Madingley Village Hall, High Street, Madingley
- Monday 2 June, 16:00 to 20:00 - Lolworth Robinson Hall, High Street, Lolworth
Highways Agency senior project manager, Mike Evans, said:
I am looking forward to the web chat and answering questions about the scheme. With just over two weeks to go, we really want people to get involved, get online and let us know what they think.
This is a vital scheme that will deliver benefits for Cambridgeshire and those who regularly use the A14, and we want to make sure the scheme best meets the needs of businesses, road-users and the local community.
All the information people need in order to give their views – consultation documents, online questionnaire, list of exhibitions and how to contact the team - is available on the Highways Agency’s website
The existing A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon carries almost 85,000 vehicles a day; significantly more than it was designed for, resulting in congestion and delays.
In September 2013 the Highways Agency held a public consultation to consider route options for the up to £1.5 billion A14 improvement scheme. As a result of this exercise, the proposed scheme has been developed in more detail and plans to toll the road have been dropped.
The changes that have been made in response to feedback from last year’s consultation include improvements to Brampton, Swavesey, Bar Hill and Girton junctions. An updated local access road has also been proposed between Fen Drayton and Swavesey.
The current consultation exercise forms part of the statutory planning process and is intended to give local residents, businesses, haulage operators and communities more information on the scope and details of the proposals and to have their say on the plans.
The Agency will announce the preferred route in the summer before submitting its planning application, which is known as a Development Consent Order or DCO, to the Planning Inspectorate in the autumn. Subject to a successful examination of the planning application, work is due to start on site in late 2016.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 123 5000
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways Agency press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer