Newly released drone footage highlights how National Highways’ A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet Improvements are taking shape as the scheme reaches halfway point. 

 Major changes to key locations along the new 10-mile dual carriageway in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire have already taken place, including at Black Cat roundabout, Cambridge Road (St Neots), Eltisley and Caxton Gibbet. 

Lee Galloway, National Highways Project Director, said:

“It’s brilliant to see how much has been delivered as we are now at the halfway point in construction. Already motorists who regularly travel on the route will see major visible changes. It’s a powerful testament to the hard work, expertise, and dedication of everyone involved and means we remain on track to open in spring 2027. The end result will be a smoother, safer, and more free-flowing road network. This is now firmly in sight and we’re grateful for the ongoing understanding and support from the local community and road users.” 

The £1 billion A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet Improvements scheme is National Highways’ largest infrastructure project in construction and will improve journeys between Milton Keynes and Cambridge, bringing communities together and supporting long-term growth in the region. 

It will deliver a new 10-mile dual carriageway linking the A1 and A421 Black Cat roundabout in Bedfordshire with the A428 Caxton Gibbet roundabout in Cambridgeshire – replacing the only stretch of single carriageway between the M1 near Milton Keynes and the east coast ports of Felixstowe and Harwich.   

Both roundabouts will be upgraded to modern, free-flowing junctions, vastly improving traffic flow and reducing congestion. A new junction will be added at Cambridge Road, improving access to St Neots and its train station. 

The improvements, which are set to be completed by spring 2027, will help drivers save up to an hour and a half on their journeys every week. 

Dan Trathen, Skanska’s Project Director for the A428 scheme, said: “Reaching the halfway point isn’t just a marker on the timeline, it’s a testament to the grit, precision, and teamwork that’s driving this project forward. We’re not just building roads, we’re laying the foundation for safer, faster, and more connected communities. The second half begins with even greater purpose.” 

 At the halfway point of construction on the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet Improvements, workers have: 

• Moved 7.1 million tonnes of earth on-site to lay the foundations for the new dual carriageway, link roads, and supporting structures. That’s the equivalent of more than 7 billion standard bags of baking flour. 
• Laid 60,000 tonnes of asphalt to create smooth road surfaces at Black Cat roundabout, the new Cambridge Road junction, Eltisley, and Caxton Gibbet roundabout. 
• Successfully diverted over 27 miles of broadband, gas, water, and power utilities. If you walked that distance, it would take nine hours. 
• Lifted 84 bridge beams into place on six structures across the scheme. Once fully complete, 18 new bridges will have been built.  
• Installed 11 miles of new drainage systems. 

Drivers travelling through the Black Cat roundabout will continue to see significant construction activity in the coming months, as National Highways lowers the A1 carriageway to pass beneath the new junction and progresses work on the new A421 flyover bridge. 

(Pics: National Highways/Skanska)