Under construction – the A14 crossing the Fens
The new line of the A14 trunk road through Cambridgeshire (opened 2020) lead to increased severance of non-motorised users in the surrounding area. Several potential NMU routes across the A14 were included in the scheme but they do not connect to existing routes and built in some seriously dangerous crossing points of local roads. Transport Initiatives were commissioned by Cambridgeshire County Council to assess the options for improving the routes between Hilton and Fenstanton (and onwards to St Ives).
Rob demonstrates the mounting block for horse riders using the subway under the original A14 dual carriageway at Fenstanton. Or is it the winners podium for the last Fenstantion Olympics?
The work involved:
- Extensive surveys of footpaths, bridleways, quiet lanes and A14 operational lands
- Conventional and “floating car” surveys of flows and speeds on two roads
- Working with the with local residents and businesses via the Parish Councils. This was essential in working out what local people would see as acceptable, and indeed the final preferred solution was developed during discussions at an open meeting.
- An assessment of local land; the owners and opportunities presented by “set aside” or environmental grass margins
- Estimating the likely use of any improved route.
Nice bridge, nice path…
Oops – that nice path ends at a blind corner…
We were asked to investigate 5 potential routes. One was a stand alone bridleway which could be signed and promoted now. The others were combinations of footways, footpaths and new NMU paths next to the carriageway over the new bridges. Unfortunately the new paths were built on the wrong side of the carriageway away from existing paths. So a potential route along the B1040 Potton Road involved 2 unnecessary crossings, one on a blind corner. Many residents felt that they wouldn’t like the crossings and they certainly wouldn’t let their children cross unsupervised.
Alternative route using a bridlepath. Part surfaced, part track (above), part apparent field footpath…
An ideal solution would have been to build fewer general traffic bridges over the A14 leaving one road from Hilton as two culs de sacs joined by a pedestrian/cycle bridge. We felt that the politics of closing a recently opened bridge to make two culs de sacs would be difficult but the idea spawned a discussion where residents made their own proposals for replacing part of the carriageway with a pedestrian/cycle/equestrian path.
Proposal for a path in an environmental grass margin.
Our final preferred solution used a combination of:
- NMU path on “environmental grass margin” in adjacent fields
- NMU path on culverted ditch. This was mainly to avoid obstructions such as buildings – the ditch is an environment resource in its own right
- NMU path on the verge
- NMU path on the carriageway with either widening on the opposite side or the with road operating as a single-track road.
A back lane in Hilton
The work showed that the assumed network of quiet lanes covering rural England is badly broken up by busy roads. Even well-meaning attempts to reduce severance caused by major roads need a lot of additional work to produce a useable rural pedestrian, cycle & horse network.
And there’s more…
Our work in Longwick showed how rural routes can link villages to places residents want to go while along the Flitch Way we looked at the opposite; how a rural route could better link to villages. Another road forming a barrier needing a solution was the A30 at Chiverton Cross.