Cambridgeshire County Council has launched procurement for a £168m sustainable transport corridor between Cambourne and Cambridge.
The authority is seeking to appoint a contractor through an existing framework for the delivery of a new guided busway and a 2,000-space park and ride facility at Scotland Farm in Dry Drayton, 7 miles northwest of Cambridge.
A contract notice published this morning (22 April) confirms the project’s estimated value at £140m excluding VAT, with works expected to start in June. The job could run to the end of 2028, with an option to extend by a further 30 months.
Cambridgeshire County Council did not disclose the specific framework in its notice.
The 14km route will connect Cambourne West, Bourn Airfield, Hardwick, Coton and the West Cambridge site. It includes a new path for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
Buses will stop at seven locations along the route, including Cambourne, Hardwick, and the University of Cambridge’s West site.
The scheme is being progressed in response to large-scale residential development in the area. Planning consents have been secured for 2,350 homes at Cambourne West and 3,500 at the disused Bourn Airfield. The West Cambridge campus is also due to expand with 383,300 square metres of employment space.
The proposal includes a single-carriageway guided busway, with traffic signals at road junctions and no access for private cars. Emergency access and maintenance routes will run parallel to the busway and connect to local active travel networks.
Source: Gov.uk Find a Tender/Greater Cambridge Partnership