Highways England is to hold on-site meetings with communities campaigning for action on “dangerous” junctions on the A14.
The move has been welcomed by North West Cambridgeshire MP Shailesh Vara who is calling for safety improvements. Mr Vara organised and chaired an online session which enabled villagers to put their case to Martin Fellows, Highways England regional director.
People living in villages along the A14 to the west of Huntingdon are growing increasingly concerned at the safety of junctions they have to use daily. They are worried about the effect of extra traffic on the key route following the completion of the £1.5 billion upgrade of the A14 between Huntingdon and Cambridge.
After the virtual meeting Mr Vara said: “This was a very constructive meeting and I’m grateful to all those who took the trouble to attend. I am in no doubt that these are dangerous junctions and I am very pleased that Mr Fellows and his team have agreed to engage with the local community.
“The separate on-site meetings at the junctions will help to identify the dangers to be addressed and I know the local community will do all they can to work closely with Highways England.”
Mr Vara, who is calling for short-term safety measures at the junctions pending a permanent solution, added: “I will be keeping a close eye as matters progress.”
Villages represented at the online meeting included Bythorn and Keyston, Ellington, Leighton Bromswold, Easton, Catworth, Spaldwick and Barham and Woolley.
County and district councillor Ian Gardener put the case for the communities affected and was supported by village representatives who gave their own account of the dangers they face.
After hearing residents’ concerns Mr Fellows agreed to Highways England having on-site meetings at various locations which the local community felt was in need of safety improvements.
He said: “Our road network is a vital part of everyone’s life and we’ll never stop looking for ways to improve on safety and reliability. Substantial vegetation clearance has already taken place on the A14 over the past year to improve visibility, as well as road markings and signage improvements, and we’ll look to continue this work in the future.
Mr Fellows added: “ We always welcome the opportunity to hear first-hand from residents and to discuss any concerns they have, and this meeting with Mr Vara and local residents proved to be very useful.”
Cllr Gardener said: “I was very pleased with the constructive nature of the meeting and I am looking forward to working with Shailesh Vara MP, Highways England and the various parish councils, in getting safety improvements on the A14."me
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