A new link road which connects the Hinchingbrooke area of Huntingdon to the old A14 is due to open on Friday.

The road, which links Hinchingbrooke Park Road to a roundabout on the A1307 where the former A14 has been demolished, is close to Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Cambridgeshire police headquarters and Hinchingbrooke School.

It is the latest stage of the £1.5 billion upgrade of the A14 to open, with further work in the Huntingdon area being completed next spring.

A spokesman for Highways England said the road is expected to open at 6am on September 3.

Huntingdon councillor Tom Sanderson welcomed the opening, but said he had launched talks between the hospital and police headquarters about the construction of a further road, connecting the top of the Hinchingbrooke housing area to the new link, to help relieve traffic congestion.

A spokesman for Highways England said: “On the morning of September 3 we will be opening the new Views Common road, the latest of the new roads constructed as part of the scheme in Huntingdon town centre.

"The road will be open by 6am, following some overnight works.
We understand the opening of this link road is important to many people within the local community for access to Huntingdon.

A footpath along the new road may open at the same time.

It is hoped the link road will help reduce congestion which builds up on Hinchingbrooke Park Road, especially near its junction with Brampton Road.

Cllr Sanderson said he was pleased that the link was now opening but the “proof would be in the pudding” over its effectiveness.

He said people living at the top end of the housing area would still have to negotiate 90 per cent of the estate road before they reached the new link and he felt a further road from the hospital area to the new road would help.

“I have got the facilities team at the hospital to talk to the facilities people at the police headquarters about this as an option,” he said.

The Views Common road cuts through the large police headquarters site and Cllr Sanderson said the prospect of some of the land being sold for development could have an impact on his plan.