• Where are we now?
• Striving for excellence on the A14C2H scheme
• Update on the A14 Community Fund
• Thank you for your feedback!

Where are we now?

Work on the scheme is progressing well. We’ve finished clearing the site,

built our construction compounds and started the permanent works including

earthworks and bridge building.

We’ve continued installing the narrow lanes on the A14. These allow us to gain the space we need to carry out work without closing lanes,minimising the impact on drivers.

Over the next few months, we will continue bridge building and archaeological excavations, and will be excavating and moving the materials needed to build the road.

Traffic management

Any work requiring lane or full closures will take place at night. Diversions have been agreed with Cambridgeshire County Council and will be clearly signposted.

Over the next few months, the following traffic management will be used:

• „„ Overnight closures on the A1 between Alconbury and Buckden
• „„ Overnight closures on both the A428 and A14
• „„ Narrow lanes on the A14

 The safety, of road workers and road users, is our priority and has been the main focus of the team in designing the traffic management we use.

Using 40mph speed limits through roadworks helps to minimise risks and ensure a safer working environment for our construction teams and the travelling public.

We are continually reviewing our approach based on work taking place and feedback from you.

Striving for excellence on the A14C2H scheme

The Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) is a non-profit organisation set up in 1997

by the construction industry. Construction sites, companies and suppliers can voluntarily

register with the scheme and agree to follow a five point Code of Considerate Practice,

designed to encourage best practice beyond the statutory requirements.

The five sections of the code are:

• Care about appearance
• Respect the community
• Protect the environment
• Secure everyone’s safety
• Value the workforce

Twice a year, CCS visit sites and award a score out of 50 against the above list.

The top 10% of sites are invited to the annual national awards, with bronze, silver and gold awards presented.

Highways England and our A14 Integrated Delivery Team contractors (Balfour Beatty,

Carillion, Costain and Skanska) are all members of CCS, fully supporting the drive

to improve what can still be a negative view of construction. When we heard there was

an opportunity to push ourselves and the industry further, with the CCS Ultra Site, we

were keen to get involved.

In June we were formally accepted as the first road Ultra Site and over the next

three years we will be working closely with our supply chain to set very high standards across the project. We’ll report back in future newsletters.

Update on the A14 Community Fund

The A14 Community Fund launched a year ago and we’ve had some great entries.

The fund supports projects that reflect the changes the scheme will bring to the area, with up to £10,000 of funding.

So far, we have confirmed funding to 11 different projects, including:

• The Countryside Restoration Trust received £9005 to support water voles.

• The Offords Recreation Hut (Offord Village Hall) received £2,160 to provide a secure bicycle parking facility for village hall users.

• Histon & Impington Community Orchard Project received £1,752 to complete and maintain the orchard by providing some tools and an information sign.

• Groundwork East received £10,000 to improve confidence and skills in peoplefurthest from employment by growing wildflower plugs for use on the borrow pit nature reserves created by the A14.

• Alconbury C of E Primary School received £5,000 for an artist to work with the community to update 5 murals in the school hall.

• Cambridge Science Centre received £9,780 to create a new cross-disciplinary workshop tying in the environment and engineering, using the A14 as a case study.

• Great Paxton Parish Council received £3,000 to conduct a feasibility study into options to provide a safe alternative to the hazardous B1043 for cyclists.

Gerard Smith, Head of Legacy, said: ‘This scheme will bring positive change to this area

and it’s great to be able to encourage and support projects that build on that to improve life in local communities.’

For more information about the A14 Community Fund, visit their website.

Thank you for your feedback!

Thank you to everyone who took part inour communications survey. Feedback from those who use the road helps us to understand how we can make our communications as effective as possible.

Nearly 70% of you heard about the survey via our website or social media. The results are therefore unlikely to reflect the views of those who don’t use the internet, and may have a different perspective. Any changes made to our communications will be made with this in mind.

You said:

• „73% of you use the A14 to travel to and from work, or for business purposes, and more than 50% use the road every weekday.

•  „„96% of you said you wanted more information on road closures and diversions. 70% felt that general information about the scheme’s progress is also useful.

•  „„The most frequently used information sources are the local media, the scheme website and social media.

• When asked what channels we should use more, results shifted slightly. The top choice was the scheme website, followed by email alerts, social media and then the local press.

 What’s changed since this survey went live:

• We’ve launched our mobile visitor centre, which allows us to visit a much wider range of communities, businesses and other groups to update you about the scheme. Our current programme of events can be found on our website, along with details of how to book the centre.

•  We’ve started sharing traffic management information on our social media channels.

• „„We’ve created a series of diversion route maps to share with you.

 What we’re doing next:

• „„We are exploring ways to improve the information provided on our website.

• „„We are reviewing social media to improve both the quality of information shared and;

• „„looking for ways to broaden our reach.

•  We are promoting our newsletter as widely as possible, so that people are kept informed on scheme progress. Progress stories will also be shared on social media.

•  We are investigating other opportunities to keep people informed about traffic management.

• „„We are promoting our email alerts, which you can sign up to on our website.

Visit our website: www.highways.gov.uk/A14C2H

Send us an email: A14CambridgeHuntingdon@highwaysengland.co.uk

Give us a call: 0300 123 5000