Next week, work will start on a section of the Guided Busway to implement an innovative busway safety measure to allow the busway to return to full, two-way operation.
Since February 2022, a section of the Guided Busway in one direction has been closed between Cambridge Railway Station and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The inbound only track (closest to the maintenance track) was closed to allow for a temporary fence to be installed without reducing the width of the path used by pedestrians and cyclists. This measure has severely impacted the busway service and connections to key employment and health facilities.
The temporary fence was installed whilst we waited for an independent safety review and following ongoing communications with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and as part of our continuous review of safety on the busway.
Since then, the county council has been working with the bus operators and emergency services to risk assess and design a fence to be installed next to the upstand along sections of the southern busway. It has been specifically designed with removable sections to allow for safe evacuation.
To reduce inconvenience to bus passengers, cyclists and pedestrians and keep the Guided Busway and the maintenance track open wherever possible, we’ve worked with our contractor and updated the work programme, so it takes place in sections.
- 12 - 19 February: maintenance track closed from the entrance of the busway at Hills Road bridge to Long Road bridge, but buses will still run one-way. The maintenance track from Long Road bridge to Addenbrooke's spur will remain open.
- 19 - 25 February: busway closed from Hills Road bridge to Addenbrooke's spur and maintenance track closed from Hills Road bridge to Addenbrooke's spur.
- 25 February - 29 March: busway closed from Hills Road bridge to Addenbrooke's spur. The maintenance track closed from Hills Road bridge to Long Road bridge, but open between Long Road bridge and Addenbrooke's spur.
Diversions for buses and signed diversions for cyclists and pedestrians will be in place. This is to allow the new fence to be installed along the 1.2km stretch of the busway.
We anticipate it will take six weeks to install the new safety measure on the busway as it will involve removing the existing temporary fence, taking out the kerbs and installing the new fence.
Our contractors will be working seven days a week to get this work completed as quickly as possible, they will need the space on both the busway and the maintenance track to install the new fence safely. The busway and the maintenance track are currently programmed to re-open on Saturday 30 March.
We’d like to remind people they must not trespass through the works area or on the busway for safety reasons and whilst this work takes place it will include both the busway and the maintenance track. Those using the maintenance track will need to follow alternative routes during the work.
This new innovative busway safety measure means we can return the busway back to full use and people can continue cycling, walking, running, and using the maintenance track. This is the best way forward and part of our ambition to make travel across the county safer and more environmentally sustainable.
This article first published 5 February. Updated with expanded detail 6 February.
