The A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet scheme is set to enter its examination stage next week.
The project replaces the only remaining section of single carriageway between Milton Keynes and Cambridge, tackling one of the region’s most notorious congestion hotspots.
The new road will also be an important link between the M1 and the M11, connecting Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Bedford and St Neots.
Highways England submitted its application for a Development Consent Order to the government’s independent planning authority, the Planning Inspectorate, on 26 February 2021 and it expected to be examined next week.
A spokesperson for Highways England said: "The A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet scheme will enter the examination stage for its Development Consent Order (DCO) application on Wednesday 18 August 2021, following the close of a procedural meeting known as the Preliminary Meeting.
"The draft examination timetable has now been published by the Planning Inspectorate, which lists key dates and deadlines through the examination period.
"The Planning Inspectorate has appointed members of the panel who will examine the application, known as the Examining Authority."
The #A428 scheme will also improve junctions for cyclists with offline routes & safer crossings. Working with cycle groups, Highways England is pursuing further funding to complete the “missing link” – a path for cyclists and walkers to travel between Caxton Gibbet and Eltisley.
— A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet (@A428Cat) August 5, 2021
The application follows extensive engagement with the region, including meetings between the company and over 4,500 people to discuss plans.
Over 5,000 people were also formally consulted to help understand peoples views.
Around 25,000 vehicles travel on the A428 between Cambridge Road and Caxton Gibbet every day.
With considerable local housing and job growth expected, this number is likely to increase to around 33,000 vehicles by 2040.
