Diversions, closures and speed restrictions

Check this page regularly for the latest updates on road closures, diversions, and speed restrictions

Diversions, closures and speed restrictions

Current closures

18 May to 10 June - A1 northbound and A421 eastbound overnight closure

Overnight closures (9pm-5am) on:

  • A1 northbound between Tempsford and Wyboston
  • A421 eastbound between Renhold and Black Cat
     
    Diversion

A1 northbound 

  • exit A1 at Tempsford Interchange onto St Neots Road
  • take A428 towards Wyboston
  • re-join A1 at Wyboston Interchange

A1 northbound diversion route map
 
A421 eastbound

  • exit A421 at Cardington Interchange onto A603
  • take A603 towards Sandy
  • take A1 northbound at Sandy roundabout

A421 eastbound diversion route map

Weekend closure of A1 northbound between Tempsford and Black Cat from 5am Saturday 6 to 10pm Sunday 7 June 2026 for drainage works. 

Diversion

  • exit A1 northbound at Tempsford Interchange onto St Neots road
  • re-join A1 northbound via A428 at Wyboston Interchange

See A1 northbound diversion route map

Weekend closure of the A1 northbound at Black Cat and A1 southbound between Wyboston and Tempsford from 9pm Friday 12 to 5am Monday 15 June 2026 for drainage works. 

Diversion 

A1 northbound:

  • at Black Cat take A421 westbound towards Renhold
  • exit A421 westbound at Renhold Interchanging looping back on the A421 eastbound
  • re-join A1 northbound via A421 eastbound

See A1 northbound diversion route

A1 southbound:

  • exit A1 southbound at Wyboston Interchange onto A428 towards St Neots
  • take Barford Road 
  • re-join A1 southbound at Tempsford

See A1 southbound diversion route map

Overnight closure (8pm - 6am) of A428 between Eltisley north roundabout and Caxton Gibbet for street light, drainage, and earthworks.

Diversion

  • exit A428 at Eltisley onto B1040
  • head east on A1198 before rejoining A428 at Caxton Gibbet

See A428 diversion route map

Overnight closures (8pm - 6am) of A428 between Tithe Farm roundabout, St Neots and Caxton Gibbet for street lighting, drainage, and earthworks.

Diversion

  • take A428 towards St Neots joining A1 northbound at Wyboston Interchange
  • exit A1 northbound at Brampton onto A1 southbound and then A14 eastbound
  • rejoin A428 via A1198 at Caxton Gibbet

See A428 diversion route map

Weekend closure of the A428 between Eltisley north roundabout and Caxton Gibbet from 8pm Friday 10 to 6am Monday 10 July 2026 for drainage installation.

Diversion

  • exit A428 at Eltisley onto B1040
  • head east on A1198 before rejoining A428 at Caxton Gibbet

See A428 diversion route map

Overnight closures (8pm - 6am) of A428 between Tithe Farm roundabout, St Neots and Caxton Gibbet for completion works at Eltisley.

Diversion

  • take A428 towards St Neots joining A1 northbound at Wyboston Interchange
  • exit A1 northbound at Brampton onto A1 southbound and then A14 eastbound
  • rejoin A428 via A1198 at Caxton Gibbet

See A428 diversion route map

Full closure of Cambridge Road (Eltisley) 24 hours a day for street lighting and drainage works.

Diversion

  • exit Eltisley onto A428 via B1040

Cambridge Road (Eltisley) diversion route map

Weekend closure of A428 between Eltisley north roundabout and Caxton Gibbet from 8pm Friday 24 to 6am Monday 27 July 2026 for surfacing works.

Diversion

  • exit A428 at Eltisley onto B1040
  • head east on A1198 before rejoining A428 at Caxton Gibbet

See A428 diversion route map

Please remember that closures can change at short notice. You can check the latest information on our daily closures page or find live travel information on our Traffic England site. Our travel alerts give details of live incidents on our network.

Long term changes

Black Cat roundabout layout change - 24 November 2025

From Monday 24 November, we'll open new sections of road at Black Cat roundabout, linking with existing road networks. 

A1 southbound

We’re moving the A1 southbound onto a new stretch of road passing under the new east bridge at Black Cat roundabout.

Make sure you’re in the correct lane before you reach the junction:
  • left hand lane for A1 south, A421 or M1
  • right hand lane for A1 north, A421 or M1

A1 northbound

We’re moving the A1 northbound approach onto the new northbound on-slip at Black Cat roundabout.

Make sure you’re in the correct lane before you reach the junction:
  • left hand lane for A421 west and Bedford Road
  • right hand lane for A1 north

Map of Black Cat roundabout layout from November 2025.

From Monday 27 April 2026, we'll move traffic on the A428 onto a new stretch of road, linking with existing road networks. 

These changes will help us build the upgraded junction and a new flyover bridge, which will carry the dual carriageway over the junction.

Traffic in both directions on the A428 (east of Caxton Gibbet) will be moved onto a new stretch of road, connecting directly to the northern roundabout.

Services at Caxton Gibbet will remain open and accessible.

Map of Caxton Gibbet road layout 

Let us know what you think

Use our A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvements feedback tool to have your say.

This tool features an interactive map, allowing you to click on specific locations to leave targeted comments or provide general feedback.

ECHO is a one-way feedback tool, so if you'd like a response to your feedback you can email the project team at info@a428.co.uk.

Planning diversions, traffic management and speed limits 

What you can expect to see

The A1, A421, and A428 will mostly stay open while we carry out our work.

There may be some overnight and full weekend closures from time to time. We'll need these for important tasks like:

  • connecting new and existing roads
  • building bridges
  • delivering large pieces of equipment or materials.

We're committed to being a good neighbour. That’s why we’re carefully planning our work to reduce any disruption to drivers and the local community.

Highest safe speed through roadworks

We’ve determined that a temporary speed limit of 40mph is needed to keep both road users and our workers safe.

This reduced speed limit helps junctions function as usual, which means we won’t need to close roads as often

How we choose diversion routes

We're dedicated to ensuring that any traffic diversions around road closures are safe and appropriate. We'll use diversion routes that can handle the type and amount of traffic being redirected.

The diversion routes will mainly follow major A roads to avoid heavy traffic on local streets. We'll work with local authorities to agree on the best routes.

These diversions are required by law, based on the development consent order (similar to our official approval or planning permission).

To minimise disruption, we will manage traffic carefully, providing clear signs and advance warnings to drivers.

 

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