A14 (Hansard, 10 November 2003)

I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the noble Lord.

Letter from Richard Bennett, Board Director of the Highways Agency, dated 10 November 2003.

Lord Davies of Oldham has asked Stephen Hickey to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Highways Agency's plans to upgrade the A14 trunk road between Felixstowe and the Al including the timescales and costs anticipated. I am replying on Stephen's behalf as he is currently away from the office.

Our current targeted programme of improvements includes the following schemes for the A14:

A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton Improvement—a public consultation will start in spring 2004 with an anticipated start of works date in 2008. The project is estimated to cost £490 million.

A14 Haughley New Street to Stowmarket Improvement—public consultation was held earlier this year and a preferred route announcement is expected early in the new year. The start of works is anticipated in 2007. The cost of the scheme is estimated at £29 million.

A14 Rookery Crossroads—a public inquiry was held in March and Highways Act orders will be published in early November. Start of works is expected next year. The cost of the scheme is estimated at £8 million.

170WA

In addition, the London to South Midlands multimodal study recommended widening the A14 to dual three lanes between Cambridge (Fen Ditton) and the A11 in the longer term. The Secretary of State for Transport, in his response to the study to the regional assembly, stated that the longer-term measures, for delivery beyond 2015, provide a useful indication of future investment needs, but it is too early to take a definitive view on the priorities for which we might provide funding in the latter part of the next decade and beyond. The Highways Agency was not asked to prioritise work on the scheme at this stage.