Please see details below regarding forthcoming road closures:
Dear All,
I am writing to inform you in advance of significant road works scheduled to take place on the Black Cat which includes closing the A1 NB, A421 east and westbound as well as Bedford Road coming from Roxton, past the garden centre entrance. This will span the weekend of the 15th to 18th August, commencing 9pm Friday and ending 5am Monday, which are expected to cause noticeable disruption to local traffic and public access. Our message in all our correspondence is to avoid the area as practicably possible and not travel.
These works are necessary to undertake the most significant layout switch we have had since the start of the project, which will enable us to commence on the middle structures of the roundabout, which includes the A1 underpass, the gyratory bridge and the bridge for the A421 flyover. The scope and scale of the works will unfortunately require:
- Full road closure between Tempsford and Wyboston on the A1NB, The A421 EB from Cardington A603 junction, the A421 WB from Black Cat to Renhold and Bedford Road from Roxton past the Garden Centre entrance.
- Diversions to be clearly signposted with advanced notification already in place. Will include signing on motorway gantries on and around the M1, M11 and M25, as well as further afield if not other messaging is required on those motorways. Local digital signs to be utilised, including Beds, Cambs, Herts and Bucks local authorities.
- Working hours: [9PM Friday to 5AM Monday
- Access for emergency services to be always maintained
We fully recognise the impact such works can have on the local community, and I would like to offer our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this will inevitably cause residents, businesses, and road users. We are committed to minimising disruption wherever possible and ensuring that affected stakeholders are informed and supported throughout the process.
We fully appreciate the circumstances which faced us early in July and we assure you that multiple in house and multi-agency meetings have occurred and planning for this closure has been completed to a precise level. This also includes the use of a new Closure Management Plan document for this and all other closures.
We will be issuing formal notices to residents and businesses and updating relevant communication channels accordingly. This includes a full media day on the 12th which will cover regional and national press, radio/TV, social media updates, written communication, business updates for logistics, displaying messages on our digital VMS boards around the scheme to pre warn of the closure and disruption. Our National Highways corporate comms team will also be supporting with this closure.
Should you receive any enquiries from constituents, please do not hesitate to refer them to us directly via , or let us know if we can assist you in responding, whilst feeling free to share this message via any method you feel is appropriate. To view the detailed maps, please follow this link Diversions, closures and speed restrictions - National Highways
Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
Yours sincerely,
Paul
Paul Salmon Senior Project Manager MCIHT
Complex Infrastructure Programme
National Highways | Woodlands | Manton Lane | Bedford | MK41 7LW
