Milton Road update: February 2024

The Milton Road project aims to improve public transport, cycling and walking infrastructure to make these sustainable travel options a more attractive alternative to the car.

Now that 2024 is well under way, we wanted to start with an overview of how the Milton Road project is progressing.

Works on the King’s Hedges Cyclops junction, the Arbury Road junction and the smaller junctions are progressing well. The east side of Milton Road from Mitcham’s Corner to the Guided Busway is nearing completion, with the exception of just a small amount of final surfacing work on some sections, the George Street and Fraser Road Copenhagen junctions (works on Fraser Road are underway) and a 300-metre stretch south of Fraser Road to finish.

The west side of Milton Road is also taking shape, with its new and soon-to-be-complete footpath and cycle lane at Mitcham’s Corner. The Arbury Road shops area is progressing well and will provide an enhanced retail and leisure experience for both locals and passing trade, and the Gilbert Road junction will soon have improved crossing facilities to help provide safer school journeys.

Five Copenhagen crossings have been installed: Herbert Street, Oak Tree Avenue, Downham’s Lane, Kendal Way and Cook Close. Ascham Road, Fraser Road, Ramsden Square and Lovell Road are on target for spring completion, and the remaining junctions will follow in the coming months. The planting on the Elizabeth Way / Highworth Avenue roundabout is flourishing as spring approaches, and remaining work on the roundabout will start as soon as the Arbury Road shops area is complete.

In addition to substantial meterage of footpath and cycle lane now available to the public, the Mitcham’s Corner area in the south shows how the project is already making a substantial difference to people’s lives, with an improved streetscape, new bus stops and cycle racks and reinstalled parking restrictions to support local communities.

Since the start of the project, approximately:

• 2.9km of cycle lanes and footpaths have been completed, equivalent to the length of 28 Premier League football pitches.
• 8.7km metres of main, edging and demarcation kerbs have been installed – almost the height of Mt Everest.
• 2.5km metres of drainage channel have been fitted, equivalent to the length of 50 Olympic swimming pools.
• 17100 tonnes of materials have been excavated, which is about the weight of 1200 double-decker buses.
• 115 trees have been planted.
• Eight bus stops have been installed.

We have installed permanent lights on the Gilbert Road/Milton Road junction, helping to make crossing easier and safer for everyone.

These lights will shortly be turned on to replace the temporary lights that are currently there.

Last month we completed the Downham’s Lane Copenhagen crossing, and the three-way lights at the junction have since been removed. Works are continuing south of Downham’s Lane.

A Copenhagen crossing allows pedestrians and cyclists to continue on an uninterrupted route, as they have priority over motor vehicles. Pedestrians and cyclists are still expected to proceed with caution when crossing these junctions as cars may be turning or exiting the junction. Please note that there is still white lining to be added to complete the Copenhagen crossings.

We have planted a rain garden at the Woodhead Drive junction. This is an environmentally friendly drainage system which collects the rainwater runoff from the road. Water is filtered into the rain garden, which reduces erosion of the road and helps to prevent flooding.

We are pleased to be adding plants to the neighbourhood, helping to increase the biodiversity of Milton Road. We look forward to seeing them thrive and brighten up the area.

The Ramsden Square Copenhagen crossing will be complete in the next couple of weeks.

Swales (a natural drainage system) have been installed and utility cables moved. Three-quarters of the kerbing needed for block paving is in place. The road is still closed while works take place.

Ascham Road is due to close shortly to start construction of a Copenhagen crossing at the junction. This is expected to take roughly eight weeks to complete.

Access to Ascham Road by vehicle will be via Gilbert Road and Gurney Way. Pedestrians and cyclists will still be able to access Milton Road from Ascham Road. This includes access to the schools in this area.

Works at the Arbury Road shops are going well.

We are currently installing kerbing, and access for business and shop users has been maintained as has access for deliveries / parking. Final work should be finished in the spring.

The north-west side of the Arbury Road junction should start to have its final surfacing laid by the end of the month, ahead of schedule.

Continuing on the west, north of the junction, we are working on the footpath and cycleway south of Downham’s Lane. We are currently excavating and installing drainage channels. Kerbs are being put in place, and a new bus shelter is about to go in, but the bus stop itself is not yet in use. In the section north of Middleton Close, heading towards Ramsden Square, final surfacing is due to take place.

Work is also underway on the east approximately opposite Downham’s Lane and Fraser Road. There is a pedestrian diversion.

Our Project manager Tom Porter has recorded a video about works on King’s Hedges junction.

When complete, King’s Hedges will be a cyclops junction similar to our Histon Road project. A cyclops junction gives priority to pedestrians and cyclists, making a safer experience for all users. 

At the south-west quadrant of the junction, we have been laying tactile paving (the bumps to support people who are blind or partially sighted) and the special sockets needed to install signals. We also have teams working on the section between King’s Hedges junction and Ramsden Square installing the cycle lane and drainage.

There is currently no right turn into Green End Road from Milton Road. This will continue until the junction is complete. If you would like to enter Green End Road, please drive to the roundabout at the A10/A14 junction, and drive back down Milton Road for access.

Work will shortly be starting at the Lovell Road / Milton Road junction to create a new Copenhagen crossing.

Access to Lovell Road via vehicle will be from the King’s Hedges Road access point as shown in the map. Pedestrians and cyclists may continue to enter and exit from Milton Road.

Some people have asked why we are installing demarcation kerbs.

Demarcation kerbs are a slightly raised kerb, with an sloped side and flat top, which separate the cycle lane and footpath. The raised kerb indicates the two separate paths to people who are visually impaired. They provide a physical clear division between cycle lanes, in red, and footpath lanes, in black. These have been installed as a key safety feature of our Milton Road project. 

Once the final layer of tarmac has been installed, the demarcation kerb will be about 20mm higher than the cyclist and pedestrian lanes and will be safe to cross by bicycle or on foot. Demarcation kerbs are flat at driveways and around obstructions. This allows water which may be on the cycle path to reach the drainage channel at the edge of the footpath.