Guided Busway and the B1050

Having completed the work to the junctions heading into Cambridge, the contractors are now starting to head north. I received the following e-mail last week about the impact on the B1050.

As part of the construction of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, the County Council’s contractor Edmund Nuttall Limited will shortly begin constructing a new crossing for the busway where the old railway line crosses Station Road, Longstanton.
Some preparation works for the new crossing will start on Monday, 12 May. These works will take place in the verges of the road and won’t affect the traffic flow on the B1050.
Initial works for utility diversions are scheduled to start on Tuesday, 27 May. The diversion works will require a lane closure under temporary traffic lights.
In order to build the new junction safely and efficiently it will be necessary to temporarily close one lane of the B1050 at a time. This will be done using temporary traffic lights and cones and will follow on from the utility diversions.
The work will be done in stages and access along the B1050 will be maintained at all times.
There is a great deal of construction work to be done in this area and we therefore expect the temporary traffic lights to be in place until September ‘08.
Access for cyclists and pedestrians will be unaffected and although vehicular access will be maintained at all times, it is likely that there will be some disruption for drivers.
We very much hope to complete the work as quickly as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused. We would like to urge drivers to leave plenty of time for their journeys.
In order to allow one lane of traffic to be opened at all times, the road will be temporarily widened. A total area of approximately 300 square metres of the road needs to be reconstructed. The finished road surface will be lowered by about 300mm. Works to be done include installation of ducting, drainage, kerbing, street lighting, traffic signals, surfacing and a reinforced concrete slab laid across the junction.
Excavators, dump trucks, support vehicles, a generator, lighting set, pumps, paving and concrete delivery trucks will all be used.
Construction work will take place between 7.30 am and 6 pm Monday to Friday and between 8 am and 1 pm on Saturday. Outside of these times the traffic management will still be in place.
The new junction will allow buses travelling on the busway to cross Station Road safely. It will also allow for cars and other motor vehicles to cross the route of the busway safely. There will also be new facilities for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the road and the busway.
The construction of the entrance to the Park and Ride site at Longstanton will be carried out later in the year.
If you have any queries regarding the busway project please do not hesitate to contact the Guided Busway team at the County Council on 01223 716972.