A14: Roadworks completed on £1.5bn upgrade

Roadworks on a £1.5bn scheme for the A14 have been completed, months ahead of schedule.

Work on the 21-mile (34km) route between Cambridge and Huntingdon began in November 2016 and was due to be finished by the end of 2020.

However, the work was finished on Monday and the national speed limit of 70mph (112.6km/h) has been restored.

Highways England said journeys between the two places could be up to 20 minutes faster on the new road.

Part of the project, a 12-mile (19km) bypass between the A14 at Swavesey and the A1 at Brampton, opened in December - a year ahead of schedule.

Roads Minister Baroness Vere said the upgrade "will also improve links to the UK's largest container port at Felixstowe - further bolstering our efforts to move goods around the UK at this critical time".

Highways England chief executive Jim O'Sullivan said the upgrade was a "key addition to our national infrastructure".

He added: "Being able to open it more than six months early and on budget shows what the UK construction industry can achieve with an integrated client team, common goals and targets, and a shared vision of success."

While the works on the A14 has been completed, further work off it - including completing landscaping, and cycle, horse riding and pedestrian paths - will lead to temporary overnight or lane closures.

Work towards removing the old Huntingdon viaduct and building new link roads into the town continues and is due to be completed in 2022.

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