Black Cat
UK plans to upgrade Black Cat roundabout and build a new 10-mile dual carriageway to reduce congestion. Credit: Crown copyright.

The UK Government is to invest £1.4bn to build a brand new ten-mile (16km) dual carriageway to connect Caxton Gibbet roundabout near Cambourne with Black Cat roundabout.

The project will help motorists travelling on the congested A428 to drive smoothly as it will become a local road, serving communities between St Neots and Caxton Gibbet.

Highways England said that there are plans to create a three-tier junction at the Black Cat in Bedfordshire, which will allow seamless passage through the junction while keeping the roundabout clear for other drivers who will take turns between the roads.

“The project will be a vital component in improving the regional and national road network.”

The Black Cat roundabout will also improve journeys on the A1, the A421 and the A428 motorways.

The proposed new road scheme follows a public consultation carried out in 2017 in which more than 4,000 people and organisations participated.

Highways England project lead Lee Galloway said: “This major new dual carriageway between St Neots and Cambridge and upgrade for the Black Cat junction will mean quicker and safer journeys for people, and will also boost the economy and unlock housing.

“As well as significant improvements locally, the project will be a vital component in improving the regional and national road network. The improvements will complement our £1.5bn A14 upgrade and form part of a wider transformation of road links between Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford.”

Work on the upgrade is expected to commence in 2022.

The project is being funded by the UK Government’s £15bn Road Investment Strategy, which is the biggest investment in road infrastructure since the 1970s.