A1 underpass 'could cost up to £10m'

An underpass to cross the A1 near Biggleswade could cost anywhere between £6m and £10m, initial estimates suggest.

Biggleswade Town Council and Northill Parish Council are looking into the possibility of building an underpass to link Biggleswade with Upper Caldecote, Ickwell and Northill, to improve safety for pedestrians.

A joint working party has been set up by the two authorities to see if a scheme can be progressed.

The councils said a feasibility study had yet to be completed and they would continue to meet in the hope of making "the underpass closer to becoming a reality".

As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a social media post following a meeting of the working party said the study could be financed by funds received annually from Active Travel England.

These could be supplemented by other funding resources, the statement implied.

The working party acknowledged: "Getting an underpass was never going to be easy and it's not helped by the uncertainty around the future of the A1 in Bedfordshire.

"Possible upgrades to the Biggleswade and Sandy roundabouts, and the government's planned new town at Tempsford are two of the current issues.

"But the uncertainty around these developments shouldn't hold up our aim to secure a safe A1 crossing between Upper Caldecote and Biggleswade."

Independent councillor Tracey Wye, Central Bedfordshire Council's executive member for sustainability and climate resilience, previously said more thought was needed on how best to cross the A1.

"I absolutely agree that a safe crossing is required for this area, particularly as the opposite side of the A1 to Biggleswade is being developed," she said.

"I'm terrified. I see people trying to cross the A1 through the traffic, then standing in the central reservation, before venturing back into the carriageway to reach the other side.

"The underpass is one of two proposals. We can go under or over the road. A third mentioned by National Highways at one stage of a zebra crossing was laughable.

"There are pros and cons with an underpass and a bridge, which we've explored before. Among the pressing issues is the cost of both schemes, and the maintenance of whatever gets built eventually, as well as the appetite of National Highways to tunnel under the A1.

"Will women go into a darkened underpass? There needs to be work around what constitutes a safe and affordable crossing."

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