Motorists are being warned ahead of a full weekend closure on the A421 in Milton Keynes later this month.
The A421 between the Eagle Farm Roundabout (near Magna Park) up to M1 Junction 13 will be closed temporarily, between 8pm on Friday 19 June until 6am on Monday 22 June.
Drivers will be told to use either the M1 between Junction 13 and Junction 14 as an alternative route, or to use the alternative diversion route. This route avoids villages and goes via the A421 Bedford Western Bypass and then the A422 towards Milton Keynes.
The closure is part of ongoing work to convert the A421 into a full dual-carriageway between the M1 at J13 and Milton Keynes.
That stretch of the A421 road is used by almost 30,000 vehicles a day.
The upgraded road will provide future and existing residents with greater opportunities for leisure activities, housing and employment.
It will also help take traffic away from local parishes, increase safety, and benefit local businesses as well as commuters.
As well as easing congestion, the upgraded A421 road will help improve access to planned developments in Central Bedfordshire, such as the 5,000 homes proposed in new villages in the Marston Vale area (in the Local Plan), as well as 40 hectares of employment land.
The upgraded road will also help improve access to Ridgmont train station, which is due to be enlarged as part of Network Rail’s East-West Rail project.
There will be a new cycleway and footway (3 metres wide) along the length of the newly dualled A421.
This will run from Cranfield Road bridge through to Hayfield Farm (near the M1 junction), along the southern side of the carriageway.
This will then lead to a new bridge towards Hulcote, which will include a bridleway.
There are no safe routes for pedestrians across the A421 currently, so this bridge will greatly improve facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and horses.
The South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnerships (SEMLEP) Local Transport Board (LTB) has identified four major projects.
Of these, the A421 road dualling is listed as the highest priority, as it is anticipated to make a significant contribution to the area, including 2,500 jobs.
In March 2018, the Department for Transport announced that it had approved £23.5 million worth of funding from SEMLEP's Local Growth Fund for the project.
Both Central Bedfordshire Council and Milton Keynes Council are also each contributing up to £3 million towards this project.
