At last, some relief on the way for motorists at the Black Cat Roundabout - £6.4 million scheme approved

There was great news earlier this week for the campaign to bring relief for motorists and businesses at the Black Cat roundabout, with confirmation that the bid for Government funding we have been backing has been successful. The Department for Transport will commit £6.4 million from its 'Pinch Point Fund' for a project which will see the roundabout and A1 approaches expanded. Crucially, the improvement scheme also serves as a first step towards a wider, comprehensive solution which separates the road from the roundabout itself.

We all want to see a comprehensive solution to the fundamental problem at the Black Cat, which is the fact that it is a roundabout on the A1 itself, at a busy junction with other routes including the A421. It was a travesty that the chance was not taken at the time of the completion of the Great Barford Bypass just a few years ago to put a lasting solution in place, and construct a so-called 'grade separated' junction. However, this scheme, which is being led by the Highways Agency, will be designed to complement any wider 'grade separated' scheme, and will take us a major step forwards towards that goal. In the meantime, the expanded junction and other features of this project such as part-time signalisation activated in response to queuing traffic and smoothing traffic flows, will at last offer some relief from the daily misery suffered by motorists. It will also make the Borough better connected and better placed to attract new investment and jobs.

We're already extremely well connected in Bedford Borough, with excellent transport links including the fast, dualled roads to both the M1 and A1, not to mention fast trains to London and the East Midlands. However, we need to keep working to bring the infrastructure that we need for the local economy to grow and bring more jobs and opportunities for local residents. Schemes such as our Western Bypass completion project, the East West Rail line to Oxford and this improvement at the important Black Cat roundabout will make a real difference in helping to attract investment to our Borough.

We consider this to be just the first phase in the fight for an improved Black Cat. The fact that four of the five roundabouts on the A1 between the M25 and Hadrian's Wall are in Bedfordshire highlights the extent to which our area has lost out badly in the past when it comes to A1 improvements. I'm delighted that we haven't lost out on this occasion, and our resolve to to work to deliver the comprehensive solution that we all want to see remains as strong as ever.