Transport Insights

The transport stories you won't see in the industry-friendly media

Author

Chris Ames

Tag: black cat

  • National Highways blows half a billion on a roundabout

    The BBC reports that half of the work on a £1bn National Highways road improvement project is being taken up with improving one roundabout.

    In fact, National Highways senior project manager Paul Salmon clarifies, the Black Cat roundabout is also taking up “half of the scheme cost”.

    “With everything linking into the flyover at the Black Cat and the A421 and the underpass of the A1 it is just not feasible to open sections” at the moment, Mr Salmon said.

    As the site is also on a high water table near the River Great Ouse, “we have put in around 450 piles, which build a wall to stop ingress of water and silt in preparation of the underpass,” he said.

    Following flooding on the A421 at Marston Moretaine last year, Mr Salmon said: “We have taken learnings over that unfortunate event and we have changed some of the designs of the water tanks.”

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