From: "John Reynolds" To: "Lolworth Parish Council" ; "Irish Nick-Dry Drayton" ; "Girton Website" ; "Girton Parish News" ; "Girton Parish Council" ; "Dry Drayton Website" ; "Dry Drayton News" ; "Binnie Harvey-Boxworth" ; "Bar Hill website" ; "Bar Hill News" ; "Bar Hill Parish Council" Subject: Fw: GNN CAMBRIDGE:Major step for A14 in Cambridgeshire: Contractor appointed to take forward A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton scheme Date: 29 January 2008 10:01 GNN CAMBRIDGE:Major step for A14 in Cambridgeshire: Contractor appointed to take forward A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton scheme HIGHWAYS AGENCY January 2008 Major step for A14 in Cambridgeshire: Contractor appointed to take forward A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton scheme The A14 widening scheme between Ellington and Fen Ditton has taken a major step forward today with the appointment of a contractor to design the scheme in its entirety and construct the widened section between Fen Drayton and Histon. The scheme will reduce congestion and improve safety as well as journey time reliability on this busy stretch of the A14 in Cambridgeshire, which carries between 65,000 and 85,000 vehicles each day. Transport Minister Tom Harris said: "Congestion is bad for motorists, businesses and the environment. Widening the A14 will not only reduce congestion on this vital route but also improve safety, making life better for local people and businesses alike. Today's appointment of a contractor is an important step towards the start of work. "The Highways Agency will work closely with the contractor to complete the detailed design, which will be available for public comment next year, as well as to outline the measures that will be taken to limit any environmental implications." It is planned to build three lanes in each direction along the entire length from Ellington to Fen Ditton except between Ellington and the A1 where only two lanes are required. A new road will be built between Ellington and Fen Drayton, and the existing A14 between Fen Drayton and Fen Ditton will be widened. The scheme will also provide local access roads alongside the widened A14 between Fen Drayton and the M11 Junction 14 at Girton and major new interchanges will be built where the new section of A14 will join the A1 at Brampton and at the existing A14 at Fen Drayton, and the M11/A14/A428 interchange at Girton. The construction of the Ellington to Fen Drayton and Histon to Fen Ditton sections of the scheme will be subject to separate tendering and contract award procedures, upon completion of statutory processes, including the publication of draft Orders and, if required, a public inquiry. The designing of the whole scheme will result in the publication of draft Orders, which are due for publication in early 2009. Depending on the weight of objections received, a public inquiry may berequired. Subject to the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures, construction is expected to start on site in late 2010 and to be completed in stages between 2012 and 2015. Notes to Editors > 1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for > Transport. It manages, maintains and improves the network of trunk > roads and motorways in England on behalf of the Secretary of State. > > 2. The Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) contract has been awarded > to Costain Skanska Joint Venture, to design the whole scheme. Subject > to meeting the performance levels stated in the contract, Costain > Skanska JV will construct the Fen Drayton to Histon section of the > scheme. > > 3. ECI brings the contractor in at an early stage of design and > development which means the scheme can benefit from the contractor's > expertise in construction methods, bringing reduced costs and > improved value to the project. It also allows for more scope in > innovation, better planning for resource requirements and shorter > construction periods. > > 4. Following completion of the Cambridge to Huntingdon Multi-Modal > Study the Secretary of State for Transport announced on 1 April 2003 > that the improvement would proceed as part of the Government's > targeted programme of improvements (now the Programme of Major > Schemes). > > 5. Real -time traffic information for England's motorways and major A > roads is now available: > > * From our new Traffic Radio service, available on DAB digital radio > and the internet at www.trafficradio.org.uk To tune into the DAB > service, simply press the "scan" button on your radio. The radio will > tune into all available channels and you can select the new service > by scrolling through the channels until you reach "Traffic Radio". > > * On the internet at www.highways.gov.uk/trafficinfo > > * By phone from the Highways Agency 24-hour voice activated phone > service on 08700 660 115. (Calls from BT landlines to 0870 numbers > will cost no more than 8p per minute; mobile calls usually cost > more). > > 6. Before using a mobile, find a safe place to park. Never stop on > the hard shoulder of a motorway except in an emergency. Make sure > it's safe and legal before you call. > > 7. For more general information about the Highways Agency and its > work, visit the Highways Agency website www.highways.gov.uk, or > telephone the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 50 40 30 at > any John Reynolds