Histon Road in Cambridge officially opens after £10.6m works
A £10.6m scheme to add a dedicated bus lane to Histon Road in Cambridge was officially opened today (Thursday, October 21).
Members of the community joined the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s executive board to plant a tree to mark the completion of the project.
The scheme has created a dedicated bus lane, floating bus stops, widened existing cycle lanes and added new ones to encourage more people to walk, cycle or take the bus in a bid to cut congestion and improve air quality.
The design also includes a CYCLOPS junction - an orbital cycle route separating cyclists from motor traffic - alongside a raft of other upgrades to improve safety for all users.
The final tree was planted today by Cllr Elisa Meschini, chair of the executive board and deputy leader of Cambridgeshire County Council.
“I am delighted to see the significant upgrades that have been made to Histon Road and to see so many people already benefiting from better, safer and more reliable journeys,” she said.
“The upgrades to Histon Road will encourage more people to get out of their cars to travel between villages and commuter towns to the north and the city centre to help cut congestion on our roads and improve the quality of the air we breathe.
“The scheme forms part of our wider plans to create an integrated transport network that transforms how thousands of people travel around Greater Cambridge every day.”
As part of the project, contractors Milestone used CemFree – an innovative cement-free concrete alternative – to lay the kerbs, installed recycled plastic drainage kerbs and planted 16 new trees.
Gohar Hayat, project director at Milestone, said: “It has been a pleasure to work on this project. To see the finished results - the open cycleway, the safer flowing traffic and to see how the public are now using the area - is always a rewarding part of our work and makes projects like this worthwhile.
“This scheme will contribute to the GCP’s target of providing more sustainable ways of travelling around Greater Cambridge and improving the air quality in the area.”
Histon Road was reopened in both directions in September with the final touches being carried out during overnight roadworks and under temporary traffic lights.
During construction 6,400m2 of new footpaths, 8,000m2 of new cycle lanes and 540m of bus lane were installed along the length of Histon Road.
Stagecoach East has announced that buses will run in both directions from October 24.
What do you think of the changes to Histon Road? Tell us in the comments or email newsdesk@iliffemedia.co.uk.
Read more:
Buses will not return to Histon Road in Cambridge until roadworks end
Overnight road closures as work on final section of Histon Road upgrade in Cambridge begins
Southern section of Histon Road to reopen to traffic
Year-long Histon Road closure expected to start in the summer
