Update on Chisholm Trail

Newmarket Road will be temporarily closed between the Leper Chapel and Ditton Walk and to all traffic

As part of the work to deliver the Chisholm Trail, an exciting new route that will transform cycling and walking across the City.  Newmarket Road will be temporarily closed between the Leper Chapel and Ditton Walk and to all traffic between 8 pm on Friday 26 March and 6 am Friday 2 April.

This is to allow the installation of an underpass which will mean those using the Chisholm Trail will not have to use a pelican crossing to cross Newmarket Road – giving pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised users a safe crossing and helping motor traffic flow more freely along Newmarket Road.

It was originally planned that the work to upgrade the jetty path (NCN 51) linking Stourbridge Common with Ditton Meadows would have been completed before the road closure took place so that cyclists and pedestrians would be able to use this as a diversionary route.

However, heavy rains over the last few months have made difficult to work on the jetty path site due to high water levels and stronger river flows on the River Cam.

These weather conditions continue to affect the work programme and we have been advised by our contractors Tarmac that the jetty path will not be open while the temporary closure of Newmarket Road occurs.

Tarmac will continue to work on the jetty path and, subject to favourable weather conditions, anticipate that it will be reopened later this spring.

The map below shows the signed diversion route for cyclists and pedestrians across Coldhams Common. For pedestrians who are unable to use the diversion route there will be a free of charge shuttle service available from one side of the closure to the other. The service will operate every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day while the road is closed. It will run from outside the Honda Garage on the City side of the closure and outside Cambridge United on the Barnwell side of the closure. The service will be in line with COVID guidelines for public transport.

Phase one of the Chisholm Trail, which will link Cambridge North Railway Station with Coldhams Lane, will open later this year. 

Further information can be found at

 www.greatercambridgepartnership.org.uk/chisholm.