A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon

The award-winning A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme was developed to provide much-needed added capacity to a vital road transport corridor between the North, the Midlands and the East of England.

Start date November 2016
End date June 2022
Cost £1.5 billion

Project information

Overview

The A14 provides a vital road transport corridor between the North, the Midlands and the East of England, and is of local, regional, national and international significance.

The section of the route between Huntingdon and Cambridge carries a high level of commuter as well as long-distance traffic and provides a strategic link between the A1 and the M11 motorway.

The £1.5bn A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme was developed to provide much needed added capacity to:

  • combat congestion
  • improve safety
  • unlock growth
  • connect people
  • leave a positive legacy

The 12 mile bypass between Huntingdon and Swavesey opened in May 2020 and the scheme was completed in June 2022, when we finished our work to improve connections in and around Huntingdon.

The scheme includes:

  • A major new 12 mile bypass to the south of Huntingdon between Swavesey and Brampton
  • A wider A1 between Brampton and Alconbury
  • Wider sections of the existing A14
  • Improved junctions on the A14
  • An improved Huntingdon Town centre
  • New local access roads

The scheme is set to:

  • boost the local economy
  • cut up to 20 minutes off journeys
  • enhance national economic growth
  • connect communities
  • improve the environment
  • create a positive legacy for the region

Why we needed the scheme

The A14 provides a vital road transport corridor between the West Midlands and East Anglia, and is of local, regional, national and international significance.

The section of the route between Huntingdon and Cambridge carries a high level of commuter as well as long-distance traffic and provides a strategic link between the A1 and the M11 motorway.

The A14 carries around 85,000 vehicles per day; 26% of this is HGV traffic (against the national average of 10%). It is frequently congested and traffic is often disrupted by breakdowns, accidents and roadworks.

A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon

A new 12 mile bypass to the south of Huntingdon

A new 12.5 mile bypass provides a two lane dual carriageway between Ellington and the A1 at Brampton and a three lane dual carriageway between Brampton and Swavesey.

This removes a large proportion of traffic from the existing A14 between Huntingdon and Swavesey, as well as Brampton Hut and Spittals interchange.

The new bypass includes a 750m viaduct across the river Great Ouse and East Coast main line.

It includes junctions with the A1 at Brampton and with the A1198 at Godmanchester.

A wider A1 between Brampton and Alconbury

We widened the A1 from a 2 lane dual carriageway to a three lane dual carriageway, between Brampton and Alconbury (approximately three and a half miles).

Between Brampton and Brampton Hut we’ve constructed a new road to the west of the existing A1. The existing A1 road became part of the new A14 Huntingdon Southern Bypass.

Wider sections of the existing A14

We widened the existing A14 over approximately five and a half miles to provide three lanes in each direction between Swavesey and Bar Hill, and four lanes in each direction between Bar Hill and Girton.

We also widened one and a half miles of the Cambridge Northern Bypass between Histon and Milton.

Improved junctions on the A14

We improved junctions at Swavesey, Bar Hill and Girton to make sure they are compatible with new developments such as Northstowe. We’ve also improved connections for cyclists, horseriders and pedestrians.

Improving Huntingdon town centre

We’re removing the A14 rail viaduct over the East Coast main line and Brampton Road in Huntingdon. A through route will be maintained through Huntingdon, making use of the Brampton Road bridge to cross the railway line and constructing a new link road from Brampton Road to connect with the A14 to the west.

Once work is complete the existing A14 will be ‘de-trunked’ between Huntingdon and Swavesey and between Alconbury and Spittals interchange. This means that responsibility for the road will pass to the local authority.

New local access roads

We built a new single carriageway between Swavesey and Girton, approximately five and half miles in length and linking to the A1307 (old A14) between Godmanchester and Swavesey. This provides a route for local traffic between Cambridge and Huntingdon, as well as access to properties and businesses along the corridor.

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