Drone footage showcases remarkable scale and complexity of National Highways largest scheme
One year into construction, fascinating new drone fly-through footage has been unveiled showing the remarkable progress made on our A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet Improvements major road upgrade scheme that we’re delivering on behalf of National Highways. The imagery offers a captivating glimpse of the transformation already taking shape. Take a look here.
Over the past 12 months, the project team including Cementation Skanska has made significant strides. This includes:
· Moving 4 million tonnes of earth on-site to lay the foundations for the new dual carriageway, link roads, and supporting structures.
· Installing 371 piles and carrying out 1855 rigid inclusions (ground improvement works)
· Lifting 33 bridge beams into place on six structures across the scheme. Once fully complete, 18 new bridges will have been built.
· Pouring 18,000 cubic metres of concrete on new bridges, culverts, and piling works across site. That’s enough to fill more than 7 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
· Successfully diverting over 11 miles of broadband, gas, water, and power utilities.
· Installing 2.5 miles of new drainage systems.
Lee Galloway, National Highways Project Director, said: “It’s fantastic to see how much has been accomplished in the first year of construction. The sheer scale and complexity of the scheme is extraordinary, and this footage really helps to bring the significant progress we’ve made to life. It’s a powerful testament to the hard work, expertise, and dedication of everyone involved.”
The £1 billion scheme is National Highways’ largest infrastructure project currently in construction. It will transform journeys for thousands of drivers, cutting average travel times by up to 10 minutes - slashing up to 1.5 hours over the course of a working week.
Lee added: “Marking this milestone is not just about celebrating what we’ve achieved - it’s also about looking ahead towards the years to come. The commitment and hard work of all involved in the scheme means we remain on track to open to traffic in spring 2027. We’re also grateful for the patience and support the local community and road users have shown as we bring this scheme to life.”
Willie McCormick, Skanska UK Project Director, said: “The whole project team – Skanska, National Highways and our supply chain – has worked incredibly hard to get us to this point. Their dedication and collaborative approach, working together as one team, has been key to the success of the project to date. Being able to problem solve and adapt to the many challenges faced on a project of this scale, including heavy rains earlier this year, has kept the programme on schedule. A great achievement!”
The flagship A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet Improvements will transform journeys between Milton Keynes, Bedford, and Cambridge, enhancing connectivity and significantly reducing journey times across the region.
A new 10-mile dual carriageway will link 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.