A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet – November newsletter

We’re happy to announce we’re launching a £2 million initiative to support communities around the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvements scheme.

One of our project’s ambitions is to leave a positive legacy, with this fund we want to maximise the wider benefits of the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvements for local communities, the environment, and the local economy.

You can apply for the grants if you’re a not-for-profit group including schools, charities, community groups, and environment and heritage groups.

The two funds available for applicants are:

     The Community Fund

· available exclusively to local community groups and not-for-profit organisations            across Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire near the A428 scheme

· providing small-scale investment (up to £15,000) for community initiatives

· to be administered by Cambridgeshire Community Foundation (CCF) with 5                  different submission rounds

     The Social Value Fund

· available for not-for-profit organisations e.g. local authorities and schools

· supporting development of initial ideas and concepts, match-fund initiatives and            deliver medium-scale investment (from £15,000 to £200,000) to community                  assets

· to be managed by National Highways with 5 different submission rounds

To find out more about these funds then please head over to our website. The first round of applications is now open.

To make room to build the A421-A1 northbound link road, new restrictions at the eastern end of the A421 involve removal of the central reservation. We have taken out the metal barriers and a lot of the existing surfacing material in the central reservation.  We are recycling and reusing that material elsewhere on site.

Foundation work has started on the eastbound carriageway through this area of the central reservation. We carried out extensive trial holes and tested the ground in this area and, by carefully analysing the soil conditions, we can ensure the stability of the road formation.

We will continue to break out more of the central reservation closer to the Black Cat roundabout and excavate down to the formation in that area. We are hoping to start resurfacing the newly reconstructed central reservation in mid-December.

What have we been doing along Barford Road in Little Barford

For anyone living locally and using the Barford Road you will have noticed a hive of activity taking place along there. Along the west side of the road, towards the river, our archaeologists have been carrying out excavations in the area.

On the eastern side of the road Anglian Water have been diverting the water main. This involves drilling under the existing road to facilitate the installation of the new pipe network, which is why there has recently been a lane closed with two-way traffic control signals.

This work prepares for the construction of the new Barford Road bridge and A421 dual carriageway starting in the new year.

Before being demolished, the empty Travelodge building on the Black Cat roundabout was used for a joint search and rescue training exercise between the Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Services.  Both brigades had approached National Highways to take advantage of the empty site for a training exercise.

We are very pleased to have supported the emergency services in this way.

<span “=””>Nearly 1,900 bird boxes will be installed on the scheme. These boxes come in a variety of sizes to accommodate different species, providing homes for hundreds <span “=””>of birds throughout the construction phase of the new road. These boxes will provide a safe and warm environment for birds to raise their young.

<span “=””>We are also creating shelters made for creatures that will hibernate during the winter months (these are called Hibernaculum). When the road is open, these hibernaculum will remain in place for animals to continue using for years to come.

<span “=””>We’ll erect fencing around trees and hedgerows to ensure that they are protected from vehicles and construction equipment so animals living there can remain safe.

On Tuesday 14 November the Bedford Food Bank moved premises and two of our team members took a van along to support the move. We helped to shift 1300 food crates, line the new food bank premises, remove all the furniture, strip the metal railings for scrap and even salvaged the Christmas decorations! It’s been estimated that the financial savings for the food bank are into five figures

Just how many lives has the Black Cat had? The black cat landmark has existed in many forms! We have created a short video to tell its story. You can watch it by clicking the image below.

Over the coming weeks and months, the team will be out and about attending local events in the area. Our public information events are an opportunity for you to come meet us and find out a bit more about what we are up to.

Our next event is at the Roxton Garden Centre on Wednesday 6th December from 10am – 2pm. We’ll be back with more events in the new year. For the latest information on our events please click here here.

Please click on our social channels below to follow us for more updates.

The A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet Team