Infrastructure group Skanska has installed 15 steel beams that will support the new bridge structure for the Black Cat junction flyover in Bedfordshire, marking a significant construction milestone on the £1bn improvement scheme.

The A428 provides an important east-west link connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge and allows for onward journeys to the Haven Ports of Felixstowe and Harwich. It also sits in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, a globally significant area which is home to 3.3 million people, supports more than two million jobs.

Working on behalf of National Highways, Skanska has given details of the progress on the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvement scheme which will upgrade approximately 10 miles of the A428 between the Black Cat roundabout near St Neots and Caxton Gibbet roundabout in Cambridgeshire.

The Black Cat flyover is the final major structure on the improvement scheme with the new dual carriageway through the junction due to open in spring next year.

With the beams now in place, the project team can begin the next stage of construction, including building the bridge deck and completing the permanent connections.

Neil Davison, project manager at Skanska, said: “The installation of these bridge beams marks a major milestone for the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet project and is a testament to the dedication and commitment of the entire integrated project team.

“Careful planning and the successful delivery of multiple traffic management phases have enabled us to create safe working areas and prepare for the next stage of construction. This has required close coordination between our structures team, supply chain partners and many other specialists working across the site.”