Skip to content

Addenbrooke's hospital worker stuck for 5 hours after A14 flooding

National Highways Traffic on the A14National Highways
National Highways said workers have been on site at the A14 since 22 February working to clear floodwater

A hospital worker said she was stuck on the A14 for five hours after the road shut due to flooding.

Two lanes on the eastbound carriageway remain closed between junctions 37, Newmarket, and 39, Kentford in Suffolk.

On Thursday, Wendy Lane, who works at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, got on the A14 at about 10:00 GMT and did not exit until 15:15.

National Highways said pumps would be used until the weekend but it was like emptying a bath with the taps running.

Ms Lane said: "I never expected to sit on the A14 for five hours, it was horrible.

"There were moments of time I didn't move for over an hour, I was just sat, everybody looked like 'what on earth is going on'"

The stretch of the A14's eastbound carriageway was closed for much of Thursday as National Highways tried to drain flood water from the road.

Contractors have been working on the scene since 22 February.

James Dee Traffic on the A14 James Dee
Ms Lane said she will not be using the road to visit her father next week and would find an alternative route

Ms Lane said she visits her 90-year-old father in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on her day off every Thursday, but never made it this week due to the road closure.

She said the road "looked fine" as she drove towards it from Cherry Hinton and only realised the extent of the traffic once she was on the carriageway.

She added: "They should've closed that slip road to stop more drivers getting on but they didn't.

"You expect it on the M25 but not on the A14 on a Thursday morning."

National Highways Water on the roadNational Highways
West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock said he would work with agencies to find the source of the flooding.

Simon Amor from National Highways apologised to those affected by the delays and blamed excessive groundwater for the flooding.

"We have only become aware of the problem this week, it's not something we have experienced before, so it was not something we could have foreseen," he said.

The head of scheme delivery explained pumps were being used to clear the water "around the clock" and would continue into the weekend.

He said: "We are taking the water away as quickly as we can, but it is a bit like emptying the bath tub with the taps still running.

"Through the actions we've taken we've managed to get the water down... We will keep going and try and get the road open soon as we can."

presentational grey line

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp 0800 169 1830