The A1 and A421 will see closures in January as work continues on the A428 from the Black Cat Roundabout to Caxton Gibbet. National Highways has shared details of the closures and diversion routes.
The billion-pound scheme aims to improve journeys between Milton Keynes and Cambridge. The road is expected to open fully in 2027.
“We’re trying to minimise road closures and keep traffic flowing as much as possible while the improvements are carried out,” a National Highways spokesperson said. “While it won’t always be possible to completely avoid some short-term delays and congestion, we have looked at lots of different scenarios and outcomes to keep open as many lanes as we can.”
You can see upcoming road closures scheduled for January and diversion routes below.
A421 closure – January 4 and 5
The A421 will be closed in both directions from 6am on Saturday, January 4, to 5am on Sunday, January 5. The closure will be in place between Renhold and the Black Cat Roundabout while construction on the new Roxton Road bridge is carried out.
The work was initially planned for December 5, but was rescheduled due to severe weather conditions. The diversion route is expected to add 15 minutes to journey times.
A National Highways spokesperson said: “We’re diverting eastbound road users by the A603 at Cardington to A1 northbound at Sandy to Black Cat roundabout. Westbound road users will follow the same diversion route in reverse.”
The Lane, Wyboston – January 6 to 8
The Lane, Wyboston, will be closed from 7am to 5pm from Monday, January 6, to Wednesday, January 8. The closure will be in place while tubes to carry utilities under or near the road are installed.
The diversion will direct road users west along The Lane and then south down Roxton Road until they reach the junction with Bedford Road. They will then head east towards the Black Cat roundabout, with an estimated additional journey time of five minutes.
Bedford Road, Roxton – January 9 and 10
Bedford Road, Roxton, will be closed overnight from 8pm on Thursday, January 9, to 6am on Friday, January 10. The closure will be in place while tubes to carry utilities under or near the road are installed.
“From Bedford Road, we’ll divert road users up Roxton Road and then along Chawston Lane to join the A1 northbound,” a National Highways spokesperson said. “From Black Cat roundabout, we’ll divert road users to continue along the A1 northbound to turn left at Chawston Lane and left again to Roxton Road. We estimate an additional journey time of five minutes.”
A1 northbound – January 11 and 12
The A1 northbound will be closed between Tempsford and the Black Cat roundabout from 6am on Saturday, January 11, to 8pm on Sunday, January 12.
The diversion is expected to add 10 minutes to journey times. Road users will be diverted off the A1 northbound at Tempsford to continue north of Barford Road, before heading west on the A428 via St Neots and rejoining the A1 northbound at Wyboston.