Ely to Witchford Active Travel Crossing

The A10 is a barrier to pedestrians and cyclists who want to actively travel between Ely and the village of Witchford and wider destinations in the A142/Witchford road corridor such as Lancaster Way Business Park.

This project aims to provide a safe all-weather active travel route to cross the A10 near the Witchford Road/BP Garage roundabout junction. The options being explored are a signalised crossing and an overbridge.

Public Consultation

The public consultation is expected to open in January 2025. A link to the consultation page and survey will be provided here when it goes live.

Why is it important?

The A10 represents a barrier to pedestrians and cyclists attempting to access the village of Witchford from Ely (and vice-versa) and prevents onward movement to the southwest of Ely and beyond.

Current crossing provision at Witchford Road / BP Garage roundabout consists of an unsignalised crossing on the northern A10 arm of the roundabout featuring dropped kerbs, tactile paving and a central pedestrian refuge.

A significant amount of traffic uses the A10 everyday which can make it feel unsafe and challenging to cross for walkers, wheelers and cyclists. The current crossing is very exposed and requires people to cross four lanes of busy traffic, stopping at a small pedestrian island in between.

The Ely to Witchford Active Travel Crossing aims to address these problems and provide a new crossing and improve safety in all weather, encourage an increase in active travel, support local businesses and connect communities.

What difference will it make?

The Ely to Witchford Active Travel Crossing will allow people to walk, wheel and cycle more easily between Ely and Witchford, improving accessibility to jobs, education and services and boosting the local economy.

It will improve accessibility between Ely and Witchford for people walking, wheeling and cycling and reduce the reliance on car as a means of travel for local journeys.

Residents and visitors will be encouraged to reduce their carbon emissions through increased active travel.

It will provide a safer crossing for people walking, wheeling and cycling, including vulnerable users, older people and those with disabilities. The risk of collisions involving cars and those using active travel with be significantly reduce.

It will enable more opportunities to make short trips without using the car and encourage greater exposure to greenspace and nature which will improve people’s health and wellbeing.

Who is responsible for delivering the transport scheme?

Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) is responsible for delivering the scheme, funded by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) as project sponsor.

What has happened to date?

WSP was commissioned in April 2023 by Cambridgeshire County Council to undertake a feasibility study that examined the possible options to provide a safe all-weather route for those wishing to use active travel modes, for example walking, wheeling and cycling, to cross the A10 in the vicinity of the Witchford Road/BP Garage roundabout junction. This route connects Ely to Witchford Village, encompassing Lancaster Way Business Park and wider destination in the A142/Witchford Road corridor.

An Options Assessment Report was produced in October 2023 which considered the relative merits of potential solutions and provide a shortlist of options. Several solutions were assessed including six overbridges, two underpasses and six signalised crossings. The Options Assessment Report recommended two overbridges, and one signalised crossing were taken forward to Outline Business Case stage.

When was funding granted for the feasibility study and by who?

In May 2024 Jacobs UK were commissioned by Cambridgeshire County Council to undertake the Outline Business Case for the three options recommended in the previous stage. The options have been subject to further assessment and development and have been refined.

The options will be presented at public consultation in January 2025 until March 2025 subject to approvals. A consultation report will be produced and fed into the assessment process. A preferred option recommendation is expected to be delivered in June 2025.

Where is the project currently?

Cambridgeshire County Council and Jacobs are currently in the process of developing an Outline Business Case which will deliver a recommendation of the preferred option in June 2025.

We are currently preparing for public consultation and subject to approvals will be launching this in January 2025 and it will run until March 2025.

What is the next stage?

Once the Outline Business Case has been completed and a preferred option has been recommended this will be presented to CPCA Transport and Infrastructure Committee, and Cambridgeshire County Council Highways and Transport Committee. We will then be seeking approval for funding the next stage of the project. The next stage of the project will be detailed design and Full Business Case. Updates will be provided as we have more information.

Get in touch

Email us: elytowitchford@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 0345 045 5212
On X: @CambsCC #elytowitchford
On Facebook: @CambridgeshireCC

Where can I find out more?

More information can be found out on the public consultation page when this launches in January 2025. The link will be posted here as soon as the public consultation goes live.