Corridor 8 of 12
Melbourn Greenway
Building at last, after the A505 bridge — the thing that would have finished the route — fell out of the scheme.
Under construction
What became of the 8 proposals for this corridor
Under construction · 1
Approved, construction due · 3
Not in current programme · 4
What the 2016 review asked for
- New route to and through Melbourn from the A10, 3 km, plus a 20mph zone
- Meldreth to Melbourn link with new signals at the railway bridge and ramps, 400 m
- New path beside the A10 between the A505 and Royston Road, 1.7 km
- New bridge over the A505 into Royston, ~80 m span
- New path Foxton to Dunsbridge Turnpike, 1.2 km
- New route Harston to Button End, 2 km
What happened
- Summer 2019Initial public consultation.
- 25 June 2020Board approves the route, at £6.5m, alongside St Ives and Comberton.
- 2023The A505 bridge goes to the Joint Assembly in September and the Board later that month; Melbourn county councillor Susan van de Ven notes people have wanted it since 2013. It appears on a Hertfordshire £37m active-travel wishlist.
- Autumn 2022Updated plans presented to 6,000 households.
- March 2023Board approves progression with revisions.
- 11 May 2026Construction starts on the Shepreth spur.
- July–October 2026Fowlmere Road and Shepreth Road closures; resurfacing, raised tables, lighting and a 20mph zone.
- 9 July 2026Full business case approved by the Executive Board.
Where it stands, September 2026
Under construction on the Shepreth spur, with the Melbourn and Meldreth works approved and expected to follow. The delivered scheme is village traffic calming — twelve speed humps on Melbourn High Street, four on Station Road, footway widening and raised tables. The A505 bridge that would have connected Royston to the A10 corridor, and the 1.7 km of path leading to it, are not in the programme; the Meldreth railway bridge signals have been reduced to humps and footway work.
2026/27 budget £2,000kApproved 2020 at £6.5mBuilding Shepreth spur
Audit
Every proposal on this route
| Proposed intervention (2016) | Type | Scale | Status 2026 | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New route to and through Melbourn from the A10, plus a 20mph zone in the historic centre | New route | 3 km + 1 km | Approved, construction due | Full business case approved 9 July 2026. Delivered as shared-use paths north of the village, twelve speed humps, raised tables and footway widening. |
| Improve the existing Hauxton path beside the A10, including reallocating road space | Upgrade | 400 m | Approved, construction due | In the approved scheme. |
| Complete the Meldreth to Melbourn link with new signals at the railway bridge and new ramps | Gap-fill path | 400 m | Approved, construction due | Scaled back: the scheme now delivers speed humps on Station Road and footway work near the war memorial rather than signals at the bridge. |
| New path beside the A10 between the A505 and Royston Road, Melbourn | New route | 1.7 km | Not in current programme | Not in the funded scheme. |
| New bridge over the A505 into Royston | New structure | ~80 m span | Not in current programme | Advanced to Joint Assembly and Board discussion in 2023 and appeared on a Hertfordshire £37m active-travel wishlist, but has no funding and is not in the GCP programme. |
| New path from Shepreth Road, Foxton, to Dunsbridge Turnpike on the south-east side of the A10 | New route | 1.2 km | Not in current programme | The review's own 'longer term' item; not taken up. |
| New route from Harston to Button End on field edges | New route | 2 km | Not in current programme | Superseded when the Haslingfield Greenway was re-routed away from the A10 corridor. |
| Shepreth spur — crossings, raised tables, 20mph zone, lighting | Gap-fill path | — | Under construction | Added after 2016. Construction started 11 May 2026; road closures continuing into October 2026. |