THE touring exhibition on the five proposed routes for the A14 continues this week, having already been to Hilton, The Offords, and Buckden. There are three routes in the consultation – and three variations of one of them. They are coded blue (the subject

THE touring exhibition on the five proposed routes for the A14 continues this week, having already been to Hilton, The Offords, and Buckden.

There are three routes in the consultation - and three variations of one of them.

They are coded blue (the subject of the first exercise), brown (through the old Buckden tip), and orange (closer to Godmanchester than the Highways Agency originally proposed).

From the east of Ellington, the Orange Route runs on the west side of the A1, to a new junction at Brampton. It then continues east, passing just south of the Buckden landfill site, crosses the River Great Ouse and the East Coast main railway line and continues south of Offord Hill.

It then goes across the A1198 south of Wood Green Animal Shelter. It goes north of Hilton and Conington and joins the A14 at a new junction at Fen Drayton.

The Brown Route passes about 100 metres east of Brampton Wood to a new junction at Brampton. It then follows the old railway line across the middle of Buckden landfill site - the cost of stabilising the land for a major highway would be a major factor against this route. It then crosses the River Great Ouse and the East Coast main line railway, and continues south of Godmanchester. It goes across the A1198 to the north of the Wood Green Animal Shelter. Lastly, it goes through open farmland to join the A14 at a new junction to the east of Fen Drayton.

From the east of Ellington, the Blue Route passes about 100 metres east of Brampton Wood to a new junction at Brampton. It then goes north of Buckden landfill site and then across the River Great Ouse and the East Coast main line, and continues south of Godmanchester. It goes across the A1198 to the north of Wood Green Animal Shelter. It then goes through open farmland and joins the A14 east of Fen Drayton.

There are two possible variations for the Blue Route. It would be possible to have one, both or neither, the Highways Agency says.

In the first variation, the new road would go south, not north, of the Buckden landfill site, and in the second variation the new road would join the A14 west (not east) of Fenstanton.

If chosen, this would leave Fenstanton as the only settlement in the county to have the impact of the road - which already divides it - intensified by the widening, rather than relieved by the new bypass.

People have until March 9 to comment on the routes before the agency publishes a preferred route later in the year.

INFORMATION: A leaflet detailing the proposals is being posted to households between Ellington and Fen Drayton and will also be available at the consultation exhibitions, public libraries, hotels, petrol stations and service areas. The leaflet includes a postage-paid questionnaire to enable people to comment. The feedback form is also available at the Highways Agency website on www.highways.gov.uk

WHEN & WHERE

THE exhibitions will be at: Hemingford Pavilion, Manor Road, Hemingford Grey today (Wednesday) from noon-8pm; at the Queen Elizabeth School Hall, Post Street, Godmanchester, tomorrow from noon-8pm; at The George Hotel, Huntingdon, on Thursday, January 11, from noon-8pm; Fenstanton Church Centre, January 12, from noon-8pm; and The Memorial Centre, Brampton, on January 13, from 10am-4pm.