Delivering the benefits A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme Contents Introduction 4-5 The need for the scheme and our objectives 6-7 Building the new A14 8-9 The size of the challenge 10-11 Considerate construction 12-13 Meeting our objectives 14-31 Combatting congestion 15 Improving safety 15 Unlocking growth 16-17 Connecting people 18-23 Creating a positive legacy 24-31 What’s left to do 32-33 Thanks and awards 34-35 2 3 Introduction The A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme is the first We’ve worked closely with customers and stakeholders during scheme of its size to be delivered since Highways England was construction, to keep them informed, involved and help them plan ahead. created in 2015. Yes, we encountered challenges along the way but we’ve made sure the As such, it’s been the company’s flagship scheme for the first ever lessons learned will help Highways England deliver future projects better roads delivery period (2015-20) and has brought about a high level and more efficiently. of positive change. I’m immensely proud of our achievements and I’d like to thank each On the A14 project, we’ve pioneered a new, much more effective way of and every one of the more than 14,000 people who’ve worked on managing a complex road scheme through the creation of an integrated the project – from the various teams based at one of our site offices delivery team, which included Highways England and our designers and to our supply chain, who provided materials and workforce – as contractors. This helped us identify the best person for each job within well as all the drivers and local residents living along the scheme the team and work together to deliver more, faster for our customers. As for bearing with us while we delivered this brand new road for a result, we were able to open the new road for traffic eight months earlier them. I hope everyone enjoys using their new section of A14 in than planned. Cambridgeshire, whether they are transporting goods across the country, travelling to work, or on their way to see loved ones. We’ve used innovative as well as more sustainable and considerate construction methods to deliver our scheme, minimising the impact on the David Bray surrounding road network and providing better environmental outcomes A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme for the project, which aims to leave a positive legacy. Project Director, Highways England 4 5 The need for the scheme The A14 is a critical link between the eastern ports and the north and west of England, particularly for businesses and freight. It 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. It carries around 85,000 vehicles per day, 26% of which is HGV traffic (against a national average of 10%). The old route was frequently congested and traffic was often disrupted by breakdowns, accidents and roadworks. Our objectives The A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme was developed to: � combat congestion � improve safety � unlock growth � connect people � leave a positive legacy It cost £1.5 billion, including £100 million funded by local partners, and is set to bring nearly £2.5 billion of benefits to the UK economy. 6 7 Building the new A14 2013 - 2015 2017 2018 2020 Development Consent Order (planning Early Work to build new wildlife February First bridge demolition at Spring Local access road (A1307) between permission needed for an infrastructure habitat begins Brampton/Grafham Huntingdon and Cambridge opens project of this scale) submission and September Bar Hill bridges installed to traffic Start of work on Bar Hill examination period junction (most complex part October Woolly mammoth discovery Bar Hill junction complete of the scheme) November Swavesey bridge demolition Swavesey junction complete September A1198 Ermine Street Scheme opens for traffic (excluding bridge opens Huntingdon local works, which are due to complete in 2022) 2019 January River Great Ouse viaduct complete Preparation work begins in Huntingdon First planting takes place Earliest evidence of beer making in the UK uncovered 2016 March First section of local access road (A1307) and A1 open May Development Consent Order approved Last bridge beams installed on a new bridge July Launch of Community Fund (New Barns Lane bridge) November Start of construction May Construction work begins in Huntingdon December Work begins on River Great Ouse viaduct Rare roman coin revealed June First bridge opens at new Bar Hill junction Demolition of the old Bar Hill bridge September Bridge deck installed on Swavesey cyclist and pedestrian bridge October Great Ouse Challenge charity event December Huntingdon southern bypass opens a year early Work to remove Huntingdon viaduct begins 8 9 The size of the challenge 126 new lane miles It’s a big addition to the road network, equivalent 14 million hours worked to half the length of the Grand Canyon. 10 million m³ of material The amount of work required to build the scheme was equivalent to one person 300 miles of (almost four times the Great Pyramid of Giza) working for 1598 years. A huge amount of material was required to build the scheme, including a total of 5 million m³ of utility cabling general fill and 3 million m³ of sand and gravel, which were sourced locally from seven borrow pits. We’ve added cabling to provide We removed about 1 million lorry journeys from the road network by building haul roads across 34 new bridges electricity and communications for the new A14. the scheme. These allow construction traffic to travel around the site without using local roads. and structures We’ve connected a number of villages to 22 different departments 5 miles of new local roads each other, to the new A14, and built the road over railways and waterways. The roles of people working on the project We built new local roads connecting Swavesey included: commercial, engineering, environmental, to Dry Drayton and Dry Drayton to Girton. finance, health, safety and wellbeing, project management, traffic management, operations, planning, procurement, quality, stakeholder engagement and communications, surveying, utilities, security and facilities management. 12 mile Huntingdon southern bypass Over 85,000 meals That’s a new A road with a length that served on-site is twice the height of Mount Everest. 14,127 people A scheme of this size creates work for thousands of people during its lifecycle. 10 11 Considerate construction: Minimising our impact during construction During construction, we worked hard to reduce our impact on local communities and the environment. We used considerate construction methods including: � sourcing 80% of the building materials locally � using haul roads throughout the scheme � fabricating bridges and bridge components on-site and installing them when ready This helped us to: � remove construction traffic from the congested road � reduce our carbon footprint � reduce the amount of closures needed We further reduced the carbon footprint of the project by using: � 100% renewable energy sources for our four construction compounds at Brampton, Ermine Street, Swavesey and Milton � untreated water in construction activities, to minimise the impact on the local drinking water supply � hybrid generators, solar powered floodlights and hydrogen powered vehicles to reduce our use of fossil fuels We took a community-focussed approach to our communications and engagement through: � dedicated social media and website pages � regular newsletters and coverage in the media � face-to-face events, including many using the first Highways England mobile visitor centre, which held over 70 events and welcomed almost 7,000 visitors. 12 13 Meeting our objectives: Combatting Improving congestion safety The new A14 provides 21 miles (with 2, 3 and 4 The new A14 helps to improve safety by lane sections) of best-in-class A-road. separating strategic road traffic from local traffic, including pedestrians and slow-moving A new local road, the A1307, was built alongside vehicles (cyclists, horse riders, agricultural the new A14 to allow local people to make local vehicles, mopeds and horse drawn vehicles). journeys, ensuring that the right traffic uses the right roads. The road also includes the latest safety features, such as: We’ve added 126 new lane miles to the network and improved several junctions, including Bar � incident management equipment including Hill and Swavesey, to provide better capacity electronic messaging signs and CCTV at these locations. Improvements at Girton and � emergency refuge areas for those with Brampton Hut also help to improve capacity by urgent vehicle problems allowing free-flow movements to existing roads. � variable speed limits to steady the flow of traffic and reduce ‘stop-start’ traffic jams The new road has been designed to cut peak � red X signs to manage traffic during vehicle time journeys by up to 20 minutes and reduce incidents and roadworks incidents by 3,000 over the next 60 years. Highways England produces Post Opening Project Evaluation reports following the opening of a road scheme. These are published one year and five years after the scheme opens and will examine how the scheme is meeting all of our objectives, including our objective to improve safety. 14 15 Meeting our objectives: Unlocking growth Long term economic growth The opening of the new A14 Cambridge to “The Freight Transport Association Huntingdon scheme supports the growth of and its members are thrilled to see the national economy by enabling the efficient movement of people and freight from our largest the upgraded A14 Cambridge to ports to other parts of the country. Huntingdon route is now open.