The final construction element of the £1.5bn A14 upgrade in Cambridgeshire has opened, bringing to a close the biggest investment in road infrastructure for a generation.
The opening of Mill Common – the last in a series of new link roads that aim to make access to Huntingdon town centre easier and safer – ends over five and half years of work on National Highways' multi-award winning, flagship project.
Almost a mile of new link roads have been built on the outskirts of Huntingdon, also helping to improve access to the new transport hub around the train station.
This followed the dismantling of the old A14 viaduct (below), which spanned the East Coast Main Line and brought increased noise and air pollution to the heart of Huntingdon.
The 12,000-tonne structure had been out of use since the new bypass on the A14 linking Cambridge and Huntingdon was opened in December 2019.
Laura Hampshire, senior project manager on the scheme, said: 'This has been a huge amount of work and I am delighted to see the last piece of the jigsaw put in place with the opening of Mill Common.
‘In the context of what we have achieved in this part of Cambridgeshire this small link road may seem little cog in a big machine, but I think it sums up what this project has been about for me; which is making a positive difference.'
Thanking local residents for their support, she added: ‘I would also urge people to reset and update their satnav systems as one or two things have changed around here.’
National Highways described the upgraded 21-mile section of the A14 as a vital link connecting the east coast and the Midlands.
Google Maps' satellite image of the area still shows the partially demolished viaduct
