Improve the A14 - but not at any cost

AT last the full implications of the proposals for re-routing the A14, including the proposed demolition of the A14 viaduct at Huntingdon, are now beginning to be understood and talked about honestly ("Pollution fears over A14 plan", July 23).

There has never been a satisfactory explanation as to why the viaduct should come down, a situation exacerbated by the half-baked accompanying proposals for the re-routing of traffic through Huntingdon from the west side of town.

Maintenance of the viaduct, in addition to ensuring the environmental benefits highlighted in your article, would provide very necessary resilience for the re-routed A14 that, because of its much higher traffic flow, would have the potential to cause even more chaos in the event of flow restrictions or blockage.

Further, pushing the line of the road further west at Brampton - as in the proposed Brown Route - as well as addressing the extreme pollution potential for Brampton, would keep the strategic options open for the re-routing of the A1 further away from Brampton and Buckden.

As for the rather short-sighted comments attributed to John Bridge, they perhaps reflect the highly prejudicial view of one so connected to the haulage industry. We all want an improved A14 - but not at any cost.

The route and any future options for enhancement should be optimised on the basis of minimal environmental impact for the communities affected. The A14 is a strategically important route for the UK and Europe, and accordingly an environmentally-optimised solution must be found, not one selected on the basis of minimum cost criteria only.

There needs to be better-informed debate on this most important matter.

MICHAEL BOYLES

Flint Close

Brampton