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'Old A14' 40mph speed limit to be gone by summer

Martin Heath
BBC News, Cambridgeshire
BBC The central reservation of a dual carriageway with a 40 sign in a red circle on a metal stand. There are portable light sticks in black, white and red on the ground, and a low metal barrier stretching beyond. There are trees either side of the road and two cars are heading away from the camere on the left.BBC
Speed limits of 40mph were imposed in several sections of the A1307 from 2020

A temporary speed limit that some motorists have described as "lethal" is expected to be lifted by the end of the summer, according to officials.

The 40mph restriction was applied to several sections of the A1307, locally known as the old A14, in Cambridgeshire in 2020.

Problems with barriers and drainage prompted National Highways to impose the limit.

Cambridgeshire County Council said some repair work had been delayed by the discovery of asbestos.

Restrictions cutting the maximum speed from 70mph to 40mph were applied to three sections of the old A14 between Swavesey and Huntingdon:

  • Between The Hemingfords and St Ives because there were concerns about flooding following the death of a man in a crash in July 2023
  • Between Godmanchester and Huntingdon because the barriers were thought to be unsafe
  • At Fenstanton where a pipe had collapsed under the road

Last year, drivers questioned the need for the limits and suggested they could be dangerous.

A Cambridge taxi driver said the 40mph restriction was "lethal and an accident waiting to happen".

Another driver described them as "slightly annoying, especially if I'm running late for the kids".

A dual carriageway with a slip road off to the left. A 40mph sign is visible at the entrance to the slip road, with a left-hand bend sign above. There is also a signpost to Biggleswade, St Ives and other places as the left-hand bend begins. There are grass and trees on either side of the road, and some traffic is visible on both sides.
The section of the old A14 between Swavesey and Huntingdon has remained at 40mph since 2020

Cambridgeshire County Council, which took over responsibility for the A1307 from National Highways last year, said the central barriers had now been repaired following the crash and vegetation had been cleared to improve drainage.

The authority said the replacement of safety barriers between Huntingdon and Godmanchester had been delayed by the discovery of asbestos in the old ones, but work was now almost complete.

Drains and pipes had been cleaned in Fenstanton and a collapsed pipe had been repaired, and new fencing had been installed to reduce noise pollution.

Alex Beckett with short dark hair and beard looking to the right of the camera wearing a blue jacket and light-coloured shirt. He is standing with a residential street behind him with parked cars to his left.
Alex Beckett, from Cambridgeshire County Council, said news that the lifting of restrictions was not far away was "fantastic"

Alex Beckett, who chairs the Highways and Transport Committee at the Liberal Democrat-controlled county council, said: "We've been working hard to remove the speed restrictions on the A1307, so it's fantastic news that it will soon be safe to do so.

"It's frustrating that these works have taken longer than initially hoped – a huge amount of work was needed when the road was handed over to us last year but safety must always be our first priority."

The authority added the restrictions were "expected to be lifted by the end of the summer" and would be removed in each section as soon as it was safe to do so.

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