Old Cambridgeshire A14 handed back to council in £25m package

The old section of the A14, photographed here in 2013, is now part of the local road network, which National Highways does not have responsibility for

A council is getting £25m to help maintain a road that has been handed back to them to manage by National Highways.

The "old A14" between Swavesey and Huntingdon was redesignated when a new section of the A14 was built.

The road will officially be handed back to Cambridgeshire County Council on 8 February.

National Highways said the money would help the council "move forward" with the road's management.

Work on the £1.5bn project to realign the A14 between Cambridge, Huntingdon and the A1 began in 2016 and was completed in 2022.

It spanned a 21-mile (34km) route between Cambridge and Huntingdon.

Work on the new 21-mile (34km) route, which moved the road further south between Cambridge and Huntingdon, began in November 2016

The transfer process means the council is now responsible for maintaining the old section of the A14, now redesignated as part of the A1307.

That includes any resurfacing work and looking after street lighting, bridges, barriers, traffic lights, drainage and public rights of way.

Neil Shailer, Labour vice-chair of the Highways and Transport Committee at the council, said: "We have been working with National Highways on this for quite some time, since before the new A14 bypass was built.

"We knew this road would become ours, which is why we have been provided with funding for it from National Highways as part of the de-trunking process."

He said the A1307 had already been added to the council's gritting routes for the winter.

Mr Shailer said the council would also prioritise works on the Godmanchester-Huntingdon section of the road "which is currently restricted to a temporary 40mph speed limit due to safety concerns with the barriers".

He said the council hoped to start work on the barriers this summer.

Steven Thulborn, National Highways' head of planning and development for the East region, said: "Cambridgeshire County Council has been a close partner throughout the life-cycle of the scheme and we're pleased to have provided a funding package that will see them pick up the management of what is known locally as the old A14 between Swavesey and Huntingdon, moving forward."