Date: 27 October 2007 15:07

A14 ANNOUNCEMENT WELCOMED

Cambridgeshire County Councillors have welcomed news that a final decision 
has been made on a new route for the A14 and now urge the Government to get 
on and build it.

The news follows today's announcement by Tom Harris, Transport Minister 
that the Government has supported plans for the so-called orange route from 
Ellington to Fen Drayton.

This includes plans to make the road three lanes each way and link to an 
improved section between Fen Drayton and Fen Ditton.

The County Council has also welcomed the news that the A14 viaduct at 
Huntingdon will be removed and that section of the road will become a local 
route.

 Earlier this year Cambridgeshire's top 19 movers and shakers, including the 
County Council, joined together to send Government highway chiefs a clear 
united message - we want the A14 improved urgently and the so-called orange 
route option built.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor John Reynolds, Lead Member for Planning and 
Regional Matters said: "Improving the A14 is the key to unlocking 
Cambridgeshire's future prosperity. The road is locally, nationally and
internationally important and anyone who drives on it knows just how 
congested it is. The County Council and its partners have supported the 
orange route and we are glad that our comments that it should be three lanes 
have been taken onboard. What is important now is that the work starts as 
soon as possible as Cambridgeshire haswaited long enough for these 
improvements.

"We also want to make sure we work closely with the Highways Agency on the 
detailed plans for the road, including how the side roads will be dealt with 
and how traffic will be managed while the road is being built. It will be 
important to make sure the Highways Agency get the details right and local 
communities involved."

The group which wrote to the Government calling for the A14 improvements 
included: Cambridgeshire County Council, South Cambridgeshire District 
Council, Huntingdonshire District Council, East Cambridgeshire District 
Council, Fenland District Council, Cambridge City Council, Cambridgeshire 
Constabulary, Cambridgeshire Horizons, East of England Regional Assembly, 
East of England Development Agency, Anglia Ruskin University, University of 
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust, Greater Cambridge Partnership, 
Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Huntingdonshire Regional 
College, Cambridge Regional College, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Federation of 
Small Businesses.

John Reynolds