Plans for an Oxford to Cambridge expressway have been scrapped as it was deemed to “not be cost-effective for the taxpayer”, the government has said.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said the decision was made after “extensive analysis” of the scheme, which was paused in March 2020.
The road would have linked Oxford with Milton Keynes and Cambridge.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the government remained “committed to boosting transport links” in the area.
The expressway had been a key part of infrastructure plans since 2017, and the National Infrastructure Commission said the new road and the East West Rail project had to “be built as quickly as possible to unlock land for new homes”, in the area known as the Oxford-Cambridge Arc.
However, DfT said: “Extensive analysis and local engagement reveals the expressway would not be cost-effective for the taxpayer.”
It added: “The benefits the road would deliver are outweighed by the costs associated with the project.”
DfT said it would “work on alternative plans” to the expressway alongside building the East West Rail scheme.
More info: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-56443084
