TheA421is an important road for east/west journeys across south centralEngland.Together with theA428,theA43andA34,it forms the route fromCambridgethroughMilton KeynestoOxford.The section between theA1(nearSt Neots) and theA5(inMilton Keynes) is a nationalprimary route.
 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 The A421 looking towardsBuckinghamfrom Maywynn Farm. | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Length | 44.4 mi (71.5 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| East end | A1Black Cat roundaboutnearSt Neots | |||
 A1 A43 | ||||
| West end | A43nearBrackley | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United Kingdom | |||
| Primary destinations | Bedford Milton Keynes | |||
| Road network | ||||
| ||||
Route
editThe road begins at theA1,just south ofSt Neots(and the junction with theA428from Cambridge), at theBlack Cat roundabout.The road bypasses bothGreat Barford[1]andBedfordto the south to reach theM1at junction 13. From there, it swings up through the southern part ofMilton Keynes,doubling as the local grid roadH8 Standing Way.During this time it crosses theA5(and connects to it via a short spur which is part of theV6 Grafton Street).
Continuing westwards, as the route approachesBuckinghamthe road passes close by to the 14th centuryThornborough Bridge,the only surviving mediaeval bridge inBuckinghamshirewhich was bypassed by the new bridge in 1974. Close to here, it then forms the Buckingham by-pass before joining theA43(Northampton—M40junction 10) nearBrackley.(On crossing the A43, the route due westward becomes theB4031throughCroughton,AynhoandDeddingtonto join theA361toChipping Norton).
The section from the A1 to the M1 is dual carriageway and fully grade-separated, with the section between Bedford and the M1 completed in December 2010,[2]winning theBritish Construction Industry Awardin 2011.[3]
As of October 2020, the section from junction 13 of the M1 to the south-western flank of Milton Keynes is a dual carriageway. Upon leaving Milton Keynes, the section of road to the A43 is a single carriageway, with the exception of the bypass aroundTingewick.
Developments
editM1 Junction 13 to Milton Keynes
editIn conjunction with theM1 widening schemesand dualling of the A421 between M1 Junction 13 and the A1 near St Neots (see above), proposals were made to widen the A421 between the M1 junction 13 in Bedfordshire and the Kingston roundabout in Milton Keynes.[4]Exhibitions were held in June 2005 which rejected proposals to re-route the road in favour of widening the current road. In 2005 the project was given an estimated total cost of £33million.[5]
Funding of £23.5million was confirmed by the government for these works, as part of theSouth East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership"Local Growth Deal".[6]As part of the government'spinch pointreduction programme, in 2014 work commenced on the A421 in Milton Keynes to improve the Kingston roundabout, and dual the section from it to (near) the Bedfordshire border, with the construction of two new roundabouts on the route. The road corridor includes a separatecycleway.[7]
The upgrade work for this final phase of the plan, the section running from junction 13 toEagle Farmroundabout, started in September 2018 and was completed in December 2020.[7]
A1–M11/A14 link
editIn the "Road investment strategy" announced to Parliament by theDepartment for TransportandSecretary of State for Transporton 1 December 2014, planning would begin to dual the section between theA1and theA1198atCaxton Gibbet.[8]The link is to provide an uninterrupted dual carriageway route between theM1(at Junction 13) and the M11/A14 (at Junction 14 and 31) near Cambridge.[8]
In September 2021, National Highways announced that this new section of dual carriageway will be designated A421.[9]The announcement does not say whether the section between the A1198 and the A14/M11 junction will also be renumbered, which would create a single designation for the entire route between the two motorways.
In December 2023, work began on the new alignment, which replaces the roundabout with a three-levelgrade-separated junction.[10]
Oxford to Cambridge Expressway
editThe Oxford to Cambridge Expressway was a proposed grade-separated dual carriageway between theA34nearOxfordand theA14nearCambridge,via (or near) Milton Keynes. The proposal aimed to establish this route by linking existing roads and building new ones. The case for its creation was examined in a Strategic Study for theCambridge – Milton Keynes – Oxford corridor,published byNational Infrastructure Commissionin November 2016.[11]The NIC saw the road as being of national strategic importance by providing an outer orbital route aroundLondon,linkingSouthampton,theM3,M4,M40,M1,A1,A14/M11andFelixstowe.Had this plan been realised, it would have replaced the current congested single carriageway road betweenWest Bletchleyand theA43.
In March 2021, Transport SecretaryGrant Shappscancelled the plan, citing analysis that showed that its costs would exceed its benefits.[12]
Notable events
editSpeeding
editThe A421Tingewickbypass has a minor claim to fame as the location of the then fastest speeding incident ever recorded by British police, in March 2003.[13]Andrew Osborne, 31, ofLeamington Spa,was filmed by a mobilespeed camerawhile travelling at 157 miles per hour (253 km/h) on a motorcycle. His friend Neil Bolger, 30, ofGaydon,was clocked at 148 miles per hour (238 km/h). Both were convicted of dangerous driving, imprisoned for 28 days and banned from driving for two years (with a compulsory re-test).[13]
Blind driver
editBlindMartine Brooks drove along the newly constructed A421Great BarfordBypass (From theA1Black Cat roundabout toBedford) and back to raise money for charity.[14]The drive took place two days before the official road opening, and she was accompanied by Frank Branston (mayor of Bedford), Steve Clarke (teacher and navigator), and Denise Hubbard (driving instructor and car owner).
She reached a speed of 65 mph (105 km/h) before doing a flawless three point turn, and returning to theA1.
References
edit- ^The Great Barford bypass opened on 24 August 2006.
- ^"A421 Bedford to M1 Junction 13".highways.gov.uk.2011. Archived fromthe originalon 15 December 2013.Retrieved14 December2013.
- ^"Winners 2011".bciawards.org.uk.2011.Retrieved14 December2013.
- ^ "A421 Miton Keynes to M1"(PDF).South East England Regional Assembly.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2 July 2010.Retrieved22 July2009.
- ^ "Bedfordshire Local Transport Plan 2006/07 – 2010/11 – Major projects".Bedfordshire County Council. Archived fromthe originalon 5 March 2016.Retrieved9 December2008.
- ^"£23.5million project unveiled to upgrade A421 to dual carriageway".Milton Keynes Citizen.7 July 2014.Retrieved27 January2015.
- ^abLogan MacLeod (14 December 2020)."Multi-million pound project improving road link between Bedford and Milton Keynes complete".Milton Keynes Citizen.Retrieved14 December2020.
- ^ab"The east of England gets a £1.5 billion investment in its roads as part of the new 'Road investment strategy'. 1 December 2014".
- ^Highways England(16 September 2021)."National Highways announces new road numbers for A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet scheme"(Press release).
- ^Johnson, Thomas (13 December 2023)."Skanska begins work on £1bn 16km dual carriageway for A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet".New Civil Engineer.
- ^"Oxford to Cambridge expressway strategic study: stage 3 report"(PDF).UK Department for Transport. 28 November 2016.Retrieved3 August2017.
- ^"Oxford to Cambridge expressway project cancelled as Transport Secretary looks to alternative plans for improving transport in the region".gov.uk. 18 March 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 18 March 2021.Retrieved18 March2021.
- ^ab"Thames Valley Police annual report 2003-04"(PDF).Thames Valley Police.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 1 October 2006.Retrieved21 July2006.
- ^"A421 Great Barford Bypass Third Newsletter – August 2006"(PDF).Highways Agency. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 5 June 2011.Retrieved29 December2008.
External links
edit- The Great Barford (A421) Driving Challenge
- Highways Agency response to a query about widening the Berry Farm Underpass to allow for the canal(made under the 'Freedom of Information Act')