A1 roundabout improvements, Biggleswade

What is happening and why?

Central Bedfordshire Council is working with the Highways Agency (who are responsible for the A1) to replace the existing roundabout to the south of Biggleswade, on the A1 at the junction with A6001 London Road.

 

We will be enlarging and elongating the roundabout into a long-about. The new layout will increase the capacity of the junction to cater for increased traffic.

 

You can see a drawing of the new layout (PDF 1.4MB).

 

This work is an important predecessor to support and encourage jobs and housing growth in Biggleswade. Without this reconfiguration of the roundabout, Stratton Business Park and London Road Retail Park are not as attractive for development. Any development would increase the traffic, HGVs in particular, which would try to go through the town of Biggleswade to get onto the A1 via the northern roundabout if the A1 long-about at the south is not able to cope with the increased traffic.

 

The development of the roundabout is key to unlocking the potential for approx. 2,000 new jobs, 2,100 homes (at the Land East of Biggleswade (LEOB)) and increased shopping choice over the next 5 to 10 years in Biggleswade.

When is it happening?

We plan to start work on 20 January 2014, although this will depend on the weather, and it will last for approximately six months.

 

The works will require several different phases of traffic management during the construction. Please pay attention to the signs and diversion routes as these are likely to change throughout the works.

The initial programme is as follows although this is subject to change:

 

Phase 1: 20 January to mid-February - night-time works in order to work on the central reserves and the southern approach to the roundabout.

 

Phase 2: 20 January to end of March - day-time works in order to work on the other approaches and exists from the roundabout.

 

Phase 3: Mid-late March to mid-April - day-time works in order to work on the exit splitter islands and the roundabout.

 

Phase 4: Last two weeks of May - by this stage we should be starting some of the surfacing work at night-time.

 

Phase 5: End of May to 18 July - we have allowed some time for any issues that may crop up and to remove the traffic management.

 

Keeping you moving – closures and diversions

 

Clearly the A1 is a very busy strategic route and it is essential that we keep the traffic moving. We will need to narrow the lanes on the A1 and occasionally close a lane but the lane closures will be done at night time whenever possible. A temporary 50mph speed limit will be in force on the A1 throughout the construction period.

 

Central Bedfordshire Council has recently installed a new roundabout at the Sun Street/ Shortmead Street junction further north into Biggleswade in order to increase capacity at this junction in order to ease congestion prior to the A1 roundabout works.

 

We know that the A6001 is also a major access route in and out of Biggleswade and in order to keep the traffic moving we will not restrict traffic flow during peak periods (from 7:30am to 9:30am and from 3:30pm to 6:30pm).

 

On A6001 London Road, any restrictions (i.e. from two lanes to one lane) shall be confined to daytime off peak periods, between 9:30am and 3:30pm or overnight between 8pm to 6am on weekdays.

 

Any proposed carriageway closure on A6001 London Road shall be overnight (between 7:30pm and 6am). Road closures at the weekend will be between (6pm and 8am).

 

During night time lane closures when access between the A1 and the A6001 London Road is unavailable, we will divert local traffic via the B659 accessed from Hitchin Street, passing underneath the A1, turning left at Langford and back onto the A1 at Tower Close, south of Bleak Hall Farm (see local traffic diversion route plan (PDF 4.4MB)).

 

When delays occur on the A1 or for heavy goods vehicles and abnormal loads, the standard Strategic Diversion Routes for southbound traffic will apply. The Strategic Diversion Route takes traffic from the A1 at the Black Cat Roundabout onto the A421 (or via the A603 from Sandy), turning left onto the A6 south of Bedford, continuing on to the A507 at Clophill going past Shefford and rejoining the A1 at Junction 10 at Stotfold, south of Biggleswade (see strategic diversion routes plan (PDF 5.4MB)).

 

There will be periods requiring the closure of either the northbound or southbound sections of the A6001 between Pegasus Drive and the A1 south roundabout. Local traffic will be diverted along the A6001 London Road via the High Street and Hitchin Street on the B659 for A1 southbound, while northbound traffic will continue through Biggleswade for access to the A1 north of Biggleswade roundabout.

 

Contact us

 

Contact the Highways Team if you need more information or wish to comment.

Telephone: 0300 300 8049

Email: highways@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk