A1 Black Cat to Biggleswade

We’ve completed a number of upgrades to the A1 between the Black Cat roundabout just south of St Neots and Biggleswade in Bedfordshire over the last few years. In September 2024, we'll be doing some final maintenance work to signs and resurfacing.

Start date October 2022

End date October 2024

Cost £4.6 million

Latest updates

06 November 2024
A1 Wyboston to Black Cat Roundabout flood prevention

We are carrying out flood prevention work on the A1 between Wyboston and the Black Cat Roundabout with the A421.

Work here will include installation of new drainage to alleviate historical flooding in this location of the old bus stop layby.

We plan to complete our work in two stages:
- The first stage will be new drainage installation.
- The second stage will include the installation of new kerbs to the footpath, resurface the pavement and lanes 1 & 2 of the southbound carriageway including the old bus stop layby.
Closures

We plan to complete the first stage between:
- Saturday 16 November, at 7am and Monday 18 November 2024 at 5am, weather permitting.
We will also require a one lane closure only, from Monday 18 November to Thursday 21 November 2024, between 9pm and 5am.

We plan to complete the second stage between:
- Friday 22 November to Monday 25 November. We will work between 9pm and 5am, weather permitting.
- On Sunday 24th November, we will close the A1 northbound to complete drainage works to the centre reserve. We will work between 9pm and 5am, weather permitting.
To carry out the work safely, we will need to close the A1 between Wyboston and Black Cat and divert traffic as detailed below:

Diversions

Northbound on the A1

If you wish to travel northbound on the A1.
- Drive southbound to Tempsford and exit the A1 onto Barford Road.
- Continue on Barford Road to Barford Road Roundabout, onto the A428 westbound.
- Rejoin the A1 at Wyboston.
Northbound A1 diversion route

Southbound on the A1

If you wish to travel southbound on the A1,
- Follow the A428 east and then take a right at the roundabout heading south on Barford Road.
- Continue south to rejoin the A1 southbound at the Tempsford entry slip road.
Southbound A1 diversion route

Westbound on the A421

If you wish to travel west on the A421 and for local access to Roxton via the Black Cat Roundabout.
- Cross the A1 at Tempsford
- Rejoin the A1 northbound to the Black Cat Roundabout.
Westbound A421 diversion route

Other important maintenance work we are doing on the A1 in this area includes:

Eaton Ford

Work began on 28 October 2024 to install a new noise barrier near Eaton Ford.

A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvement scheme

National Highways is upgrading the route between the A1 Black Cat Roundabout and the Caxton Gibbet Roundabout with a new 10-mile dual carriageway and a number of junction improvements. Please visit www.nationalhighways.co.uk/a428 for the latest information.

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. Our travel alerts give details of live incidents on our network.
29 October 2024

A1 essential works schedule update - 04 November - 08 November 2024

Due to other work on the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet we will not be working this week on the A1.

We will now be working from Monday 4 to Friday 8 November 2024.

Closures

Monday 4 November 9pm to Friday 8 November 5am.

Diversions

A1 northbound from Biggleswade north Roundabout to Sandy Roundabout, with lane 2 closed.

If you are following this route, you will be diverted onto the A507, A6, A421 and A603 to re-join the A1 at Sandy.

View 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. Our travel alerts give details of live incidents on our network.
02 October 2024

Essential work continues in October

We have been carrying out some work on the A1 between Black Cat roundabout and Biggleswade North. We need to return to complete some final remedial works which will include resurfacing and illumination of signs.

We plan to complete this work over approximately four weeks starting on Monday 7 October. We will work between 9pm and 5am on weeknights only, weather permitting.

Closures and Diversions

Monday 7 October, 9pm to Saturday 12 October, 5am

A1 northbound from Biggleswade North Roundabout to Sandy Roundabout, with lane 2 closed A1 southbound.

If you are following this route, you will be diverted onto the A507, A6, A421 and A603 to re-join the A1 at Sandy.

Monday 14 October 9pm to Friday 25 October 5am

A1 northbound from Sandy Roundabout to Georgetown Road, with lane 2 closed A1 southbound

If you are following this route, you will be diverted onto the A603 and A421 to re-join the A1 at the Black Cat Roundabout

Monday 28 October 9pm to Saturday 2 November 5am

A1 northbound from Biggleswade North Roundabout to Sandy Roundabout, with lane 2 closed A1

If you are following this route, you will be diverted onto the A507, A6, A421 and A603 to re-join the A1 at Sandy

View diversion 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 website. Our travel alerts give details of live incidents on our network.

We apologise for the disruption these closures may cause, however this is the most efficient way for us to complete this work.

Other work we are doing on the A1

A1 southbound between Wyboston junction and Black Cat Roundabout

Weeknight closures between 8pm and 6am from Monday 23 September to Friday 11 October 2024: repairing culverts to prevent flooding.

Eaton Ford

Work planned to start mid-October: installing a new noise barrier near Eaton Ford. Initial stages of our work will be mostly off road.

A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvement scheme

We are upgrading the route between the A1 Black Cat Roundabout and the Caxton Gibbet Roundabout with a new 10-mile dual carriageway and a number of junction improvements.

Please visit the scheme website for more information.

See more updates

Project information

We will be replacing the safety barrier and drainage, resurfacing and refreshing the road markings on the A1 from the Black Cat roundabout to Biggleswade.

We’ll replace 3.8 miles of safety barrier on the dual carriageway and improve the road resurface to make journeys smoother. We’ll also replace the drainage system to reduce the risk of flooding.

We’re spending more than £200 million on more than 80 schemes across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.