Drone footage shows progress of multi million pound A421 improvement scheme at Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes and Central Bedfordshire councils have joined forced to upgrade the A421 road by installing dual carriageway from the Eagle Farm roundabout down to Junction 13 of the M1.

This stretch of the A421 is used by almost 30,000 vehicles a day.

As well as easing congestion, the upgraded road will help improve access to planned developments in Central Bedfordshire, such as the 5,000 homes proposed in new villages in the Marston Vale area, as well as 40 hectares of employment land.

There will be a new three metre wide cycleway and footway along the length of the newly dualled A421. This will run from Cranfield Road bridge through to Hayfield Farm, near the M1 junction, along the southern side of the carriageway.

This will then lead to a new bridge towards Hulcote, which will include a bridleway. There are no safe routes for pedestrians across the A421 currently, so this bridge will greatly improve facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and horses, say the councils.

The Department for Transport approved £23.5 million worth of funding from SEMLEP's Local Growth Fund for the project. Both Milton Keynes Council and Central Beds Council are also each contributing up to £3m.

The major work to lay the dual carriageway started in March last year but some aspects, including the the completion date of the Cranfield Road bridge, were delayed by bad weather during the winter.

The improved A421 road is likely to be ready by the end of 2020, say the councils.