A421 Noise barrier replacement: resumption of work

Details pertain to the resumption of work on the A421

A421 Noise barrier replacement: resumption of work

Dear Sir/Madam 

I am writing to update you on our work to install a new noise barrier at Wootton, along the eastbound carriageway of the A421. This work began in October last year following removal of the old A421 noise barrier. Once complete, residents should experience less noise from this busy road. 

We plan to resume work with the next phase from Monday 27 November 2023 until Friday 23 February 2024. We will work between 8pm and 6am on weeknights only, weather permitting. This work will include drilling so we can install the new concrete beams to then fit the new noise fence panels to. 

Closures and diversions 

To carry out the work safely, we will need to close the A421 eastbound between Marston Moretaine and the Marsh Leys Interchange, with traffic diverted as detailed below: 

 

·        Drivers will be diverted onto the old A421 Woburn Road and Bedford Road (Map 1) 

·        Lower Shelton Road will be closed for the duration of these works with a local diversion via Beancroft Road and Bedford Road. (Map 2) 

 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your patience and apologise for any noise and disturbance caused by our work. 

 

The final phase of work 

The final section of this work is the longer, westbound stretch of the A421. We expect to begin this work in January, with part of it running concurrently to the eastbound stretch.  

For the westbound section we will not need to close the A421 nightly; instead, we will have two overnight closures on a weekend to install narrow lanes, after which we will have a reduced speed limit of 60mph while we are working off the road.  

In addition to the closures detailed above there will also be temporary traffic lights on C94 Bedford Road around Marston Moretaine. Please expect some delays. 

We plan to complete this scheme in late summer 2024. 

 

Lighting replacement work 

Separate to our work on the noise barrier we are also replacing street lighting along the A421 at three locations: 

·        Near the Salford Road junction with junction 13 of the M1 

·        At the Hardwick junction 

·        At the Renhold junction 

We will complete this work between Monday 27 November 2023 and Wednesday 31 January 2024, working overnight from 8pm to 6am, on weeknights only. We will have to close on a lane on the A421 at these locations while we are working. 

Once complete, this work will replace the existing lighting with energy-efficient LED lighting to reduce our carbon emissions and save the taxpayer money by lowering electricity costs.  

 

How to find out more 

To find out more about A14 road improvement works please visit: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/east/a421-wootton-to-marston-moretaine-noise-barrier-work/.   

To find out more about these road improvements and others we're carrying out across the East of England, please visit our website at: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/east/

If you would like more information, please contact us on 0300 123 5000, or by email at  info@nationalhighways.co.uk.