South Cambs roadworks: A428 opens spring 2027, A14 repairs

Living in the villages means living with the roads that connect them: the A14 across the top, the M11 down the west side, the A428 to St Neots and the A10 north to Ely. Three major schemes are live on those roads right now. This page covers what is being dug up and until when, then the evergreen facts that make getting into Cambridge easier: the five park and ride sites where parking is free, the guided busway, and the new stations and busways on the way. All of it comes from National Highways, the county council and the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s own pages, checked in August 2026.

A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet: open from spring 2027

The biggest change coming to the district’s roads is the £1 billion A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet scheme: a new 10-mile dual carriageway between the Black Cat roundabout on the A1 and Caxton Gibbet, replacing the single-carriageway stretch that queues past Cambourne every rush hour. National Highways says the majority of the scheme, including the new dual carriageway and the upgraded Caxton Gibbet junction, opens in spring 2027, with the final piece, a new A1 underpass at Black Cat, following in mid-summer 2027. The company expects it to cut average journey times by up to 10 minutes. Until then a temporary 40mph limit runs through the works, and the road layout at Caxton Gibbet changed in April 2026, with eastbound traffic now running directly to the northern roundabout.

Short-term closures for the works keep coming. Listed at the time of writing: the A1198 Ermine Street southbound closes from 11pm Friday 14 August to 6am Monday 17 August between Caxton Gibbet North roundabout and the services, with a diversion along the A428, M11 and A603, and the B1046 Abbotsley Road closes from 17 August to 4 September while the road is lowered four metres. Closures change at short notice; the scheme’s diversions page carries the current list.

A14 River Cam bridge: repairs until January 2027

On the A14 Cambridge northern bypass, the 1976 River Cam bridge at Horningsea is part-way through a £4 million repair job: fixing fire-damaged supports, replacing bridge joints and resurfacing. The work started in October 2025 and runs to January 2027. Daytime repairs on the west side ran through July 2026 without closing the towpaths; the main remaining phases are programmed for later in the summer, with closure details still to be confirmed. If you use the A14 between Milton and Quy, expect overnight restrictions around the bridge into next year.

M11: the rolling resurfacing programme

National Highways is several years into a rolling maintenance programme on the M11 between junctions 6 and 14. Through 2026 that has meant overnight closures in sections, most recently emergency resurfacing of the northbound carriageway in July. Works are overnight (typically 9pm to 5am) with signed diversions, and the schedule moves, so check National Highways’ travel updates before a late-night M11 run rather than assuming a clear road.

Park and ride: parking is free, you pay for the bus

The simplest way from the villages into Cambridge remains park and ride, and the deal is better than many locals realise: at all five road sites, parking is free for up to 18 hours and you only pay to ride. The sites ring the city at Babraham Road, Madingley Road, Milton, Newmarket Road and Trumpington, so there is one near whichever side of the district you live on.

• Adult bus return: £4.50 (single £3), on Stagecoach buses into the centre.
• Child return: £1 (ages 5 to 15 with a fare-paying adult); up to four under-5s travel free per adult.
• Group day tickets: £9.50 for up to three people, £14 for up to five.
• Leave the car longer than 18 hours and parking costs £10 (to 24 hours), £20 (to 48) or £30 (to 72), paid via RingGo within the first hour.

The guided busway: the north of the district’s fast lane

The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway runs buses on a dedicated concrete track from St Ives through Longstanton and Northstowe into Cambridge, immune to A14 traffic. Stagecoach East runs route A (St Ives to Trumpington via the city centre, the rail station and Addenbrooke’s) and route B (Cambridge to Huntingdon). It has its own park and ride sites, with the same free-for-18-hours parking:

From Longstanton, routes A and B run up to every 10 minutes into Cambridge, which is why Northstowe was planned around the busway rather than the A14. From Trumpington, route A serves Addenbrooke’s, the rail station and the centre up to every 20 minutes.

No congestion charge, and none coming

Worth stating plainly, because the proposal made years of headlines: there is no congestion charge, road-user charge or Clean Air Zone in Cambridge. The Greater Cambridge Partnership decided not to proceed with the “Making Connections” Sustainable Travel Zone, which would have charged drivers from 2027/28. Driving in from the villages costs you nothing beyond parking.

What is coming next

• A new Waterbeach station. The relocated station north of the village is designed and funded, with construction set to start in autumn 2026 and opening planned by summer 2028. The existing station stays open until the new one runs. Our trains page covers today’s services.
• Cambourne to Cambridge busway. The public inquiry into the off-road busway (Cambourne, Bourn Airfield, Hardwick, Coton, West Cambridge, with a 2,000-space travel hub at Scotland Farm) closed in November 2025; the Secretary of State’s decision is awaited.
• Waterbeach to Cambridge busway and travel hub: a 1,600-space hub west of the A10 plus a new busway, with a public inquiry expected in 2026. The first stretch of the Waterbeach Greenway cycle route, at Cowley Road by Cambridge North, is complete.
• Cambridge South West travel hub: 2,150 spaces west of M11 junction 11, planning permission granted.
• Already delivered: the rebuilt Milton Road and Histon Road corridors into Cambridge, both complete and open with segregated cycleways.

What it means for you

For day-to-day journeys: allow extra time on the A428 corridor until spring 2027 and treat the 40mph limit as permanent for now; watch for overnight A14 restrictions at the Cam bridge into early 2027; and if you are heading into Cambridge, the free-parking park and ride or the busway beats hunting for a city space almost every time. For the bigger picture, the district’s transport is mid-upgrade, and the same schemes drive the housing set out in our planning news page.

Frequently asked questions

When does the new A428 dual carriageway open?

National Highways says the majority of the Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet scheme, including the new 10-mile dual carriageway, opens in spring 2027, with the new A1 underpass at Black Cat following in mid-summer 2027.

How much does Cambridge park and ride cost?

Parking is free for up to 18 hours at all five sites. You pay for the bus: £4.50 adult return, £3 single, £1 child return. Staying beyond 18 hours costs £10 to £30 depending on duration.

Is there a congestion charge in Cambridge?

No. The proposed Sustainable Travel Zone charge was dropped, and there is no Clean Air Zone. Nothing is charged for driving into or through Cambridge.

Where can I catch the guided busway with a car?

At Longstanton (350 spaces, CB24 3DS), St Ives (1,000 spaces) or Trumpington (1,340 spaces). Parking is free up to 18 hours and buses run up to every 10 minutes into Cambridge.

How long do the A14 River Cam bridge works last?

The £4 million repair of the bridge at Horningsea runs from October 2025 to January 2027, with the main remaining phases programmed from late summer 2026. Expect overnight restrictions rather than daytime closures.

Sources

• A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet (National Highways) for opening dates, the 40mph limit and current closures.
• A14 River Cam bridge maintenance (National Highways) for the bridge repair programme.
• M11 junction 6 to 14 maintenance (National Highways) for the resurfacing programme.
• Cambridge park and ride pricing (Cambridgeshire County Council) for parking and fares.
• The Busway (Cambridgeshire County Council) for routes and busway park and ride sites.
• Greater Cambridge Partnership for the City Access decision, Cambourne to Cambridge, Waterbeach schemes and the new Waterbeach station.

Roadworks dates move at short notice. Checked August 2026; always confirm against National Highways and the county council before you travel.