Dutch-style roundabout coming to Queen Edith's Way in Cambridge

Cambridgeshire County Council has approved plans for a Dutch-style roundabout on Queen Edith's Way in Cambridge, where it meets Mowbray Road and Fendon Road.

The roundabout has segregated cycle lanes designed around the circumference to separate road users, in response to 25 road collisions between cars and cycles on Queen Edith’s Way in the last five years.

The street is identified as a key commuter route to Addenbrooke’s and the Biomedical Centre which aspires to have 43 per cent of employees using their cycles regularly to get to work.

The sustainable travel manager at Addenbrooke’s has described Queen Edith’s Way as the worst approach route for cycling to the hospital.

Mike Davies is team leader of cycling projects at Cambridgeshire County Council. He said: “The roundabout has had a lot of accidents and people have said that they’ve had problems trying to cross as pedestrians and cyclists.

“We’re hoping to work with the Dutch Cycling Embassy – they are a group of engineers from Holland. They are giving us some free consultation so we’ll be able to have some truly Dutch design.”

Designs will now be drawn up in partnership with the city council and the new roundabout will work to prioritise cyclists and pedestrians over vehicles. The centre of the roundabout, which is now green space, will likely be replaced by green space that runs around the outer section of the roundabout.

The budget for the scheme is £1.425million, funded by capital grants, and it will likely be a year before construction starts on the project.

The council report states that there is good support for the Dutch style roundabout, and working with the Dutch Cycling Embassy will ensure the very best design for the scheme, which the council expects may attract national interest.

The council also recognised that further engagement is required to develop the other scheme elements.