Coalition calls on transport secretary to make Girton interchange an all-ways junction

A group of 20 parish councils, district councillors and community groups have written to the secretary of state for transport requesting that the Girton interchange is upgraded to an ‘all-ways’ junction.

While the M11 is accessible from the A14 westbound via the interchange, there is no eastbound access to it from the A14 or the A428. Drivers heading east along the A428 have to travel down the A1303 Madingley Road, which gets heavily congested in rush hours, to access the motorway.

Highways England is developing investment plans for 2020-25 but has not committed to making the Girton interchange accessible from all directions.

A ‘letter of community consensus’ from the group calls on Chris Grayling MP to intervene.

The chair of the coalition of parish councils, Steve Jones, and the director of Cambridge Connect, Dr Colin Harris, said: “By speaking directly from the grass-roots of the community to the secretary of state, we aim to send a strong message about the importance of the improvements to the Girton interchange.

“Addressing this issue is long overdue, and while it has been highlighted on a number of occasions, concrete and practical actions to commit the investment needed to address the problem has yet to be taken by Highways England, which continues to remain non-committal.

“We commend Highways England for progressing work on the A14, although it seems a pity that these improvements were not integrated with the much-needed improvements to the Girton interchange so that the most efficient use of resources already mobilised could be made.

“We hope that our ‘letter of community consensus’ will help to raise awareness among decision-makers of the vital importance of this junction. This affects not only those communities to the west and north of Cambridge, but all-ways interconnections at this critical junction are in the local, regional and national strategic interest.”

In a six-point plan of action, they ask for the work to be given priority and funded by 2023.

They also call for a rethink on Highways England plans that could create a bottleneck on the A428. Following the completion of the A14 upgrade works, the current two lanes eastbound on the A428 will be reduced to a single lane near the Girton interchange area.

Last December, Elliot Shaw, executive director of strategy and planning for Highways England, said “any further upgrades to the Girton interchange would need to be considered as part of a future road investment strategy”, which is determined every five years by the Department for Transport.

Parish councils signing the letter include Arrington, Barton, Bourn, Boxworth, Caldecote, Caxton, Comberton, Conington, Coton, Croxton, Dry Drayton, Elsworth, Eltisley, Eversden, Grantchester, Hardwick, Knapwell, Longstowe, Madingley and Toft. Cambridge Ahead, Cambridge Past, Present & Future, the Federation of Cambridge Residents Associations, Smarter Cambridge Transport and Cambridge Connect also signed.

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