A billion pound improvement to the A14 in Cambridgeshire goes under the spotlight when contractors meet to discuss plans.

Work has begun to design and plan construction of the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon project which will cost up to £1.5 billion.

Due to the size of the project, it has been broken down into four packages of work.

The proposed four year scheme is on target for main construction work to start in late 2016.

A new bypass and widened A14 would open to traffic in 2020.

Chris Taylor, leading the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme for Highways England, said: “The A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme is the first major award under the CDF and is to enable delivery of an up to £1.5 billion investment of national importance.

“We have raised the standards we expect from our supply partners – we expect quality of performance and for them to work collaboratively to deliver the excellence that our customers and stakeholders expect of us.

“We continue to be committed to working closely with our framework suppliers to ensure our expectations are clear and well understood.”

He added: “While we appreciate our planning application is yet to be fully examined by the Planning Inspectorate, and we are yet to receive permission to start construction, these appointments will give us the support we need to prepare for works getting underway on time and to budget.”

Costain, Skanska, Atkins and CH2M will be working on the massive four year project.

The proposed improvement scheme will involve a new major bypass between Swavesey and Brampton, widening the A1 between Brampton and Alconbury, widening the existing A14 between Swavesey and Milton, improving the junctions at Bar Hill, Swavesey, Girton, Histon and Milton.

It will also see Huntingdon Town Centre improvements, to include the demolition of the viaduct, and a new local access road.