A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet – Black Cat Roundabout - 31 May 2026

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]We're back at the Black Cat to have a look at the progress on the works here heading over the A421 towards the Black Cat with the A1 North on the left and the A1 South on the right. You can see loads of work going on Saturday morning busy construction site as always.

[00:00:17]The A421 seems really busy this weekend.

[00:00:19]I'm not sure why it was as busy as it looked. There's a closure in place underneath that underpass that you can see at the bottom of your screen. But the traffic was queuing despite all the all the signs saying to use both lanes.

[00:00:34]Everyone was just sitting politely in that left-hand lane with the occasional car flying down the right.

[00:00:38]And you can see there southbound all closed as well. I couldn't see what they were doing under the bridge. So as we pass over the top general overview of the site and then we'll go back and we'll have a look at everything else that's going on around the Black Cat.

[00:00:54]Have a quick chit-chat about what's going on this week as well and see what else we can spot. So there's a road closure in the distance. Let's take a look. So the Black Cat itself you can see the A1 was actually open northbound. We could only go down the A421 so I guess a lot of traffic might have been going down and coming back on itself which was adding to the the traffic issues there.

[00:01:17]And they're finally really cracking on with this on-ramp over the top of the Black Cat roundabout. You can see there's construction activity working on a Saturday morning.

[00:01:28]It's been a long while coming. We've always been talking about how quiet it is down there. You can see the dumper coming under the new bridge.

[00:01:35]So that is really picking up.

[00:01:38]Got less than 12 months left on the scheme so I expect we'll see this ramp in place very quickly.

[00:01:44]We've seen the earthworks on the other parts of the scheme.

[00:01:47]And uh just a quick update after last week's video. I'm parked in exactly the same place and didn't get any hassle today.

[00:01:55]So simple just to leave a car where the road isn't closed.

[00:01:59]So, there's the two new bridges and this first one is looking like it's cracking along. Look.

[00:02:04]I don't understand and know the the process it goes through, but it seems they've made real progress on that um first bridge on your right.

[00:02:13]And also on the far one at the back.

[00:02:14]Remember that far one, they told me it was not going to be in place until the scheme's finished. Because I guess if you're driving over that, you're driving right through the compound.

[00:02:24]I also had a rumor they might need to be a plan crossing on the A1 at one point.

[00:02:28]Hope that's not the case cuz a traffic light set on that A1 south will cause chaos.

[00:02:33]Lots of work going on on the underpass.

[00:02:35]You can see the ladder as well on that first bridge.

[00:02:39]Does look a little bit bigger than it was last week on the pictures.

[00:02:43]They'll be added to Facebook tomorrow, so make sure you come along to Facebook and have a look.

[00:02:47]And we're now seeing the works to this um underpass on the other side here. You can see the diggers in place there. Moving the sound barrier out of the way. It's really loud. I'm told the scheme hasn't it?

[00:02:58]And uh yeah, you can see there the the gap under the bridges. Cranes in use Saturday morning, so we we keep out of the way of them.

[00:03:06]And there's the the traffic heading off the A1 down towards the garden center.

[00:03:12]And like I said, plenty going on on that A421.

[00:03:16]And you can see the the dumpers in place there.

[00:03:20]Have a quick look. You can see lots of drainage still to go in place.

[00:03:24]There's a a fair whack still to do there, isn't there?

[00:03:28]But let's go and have a a look around the the Black Cat itself. And those embankments are really picking up, aren't they? They've really made improvements there.

[00:03:36]It's starting to look like we're getting to a point where the underpass is the main construction point, isn't it? You know, the the bridges can't be built yet.

[00:03:49]In that middle there, I I a period they're waiting. You've got the two outer surrounds. They're not finished.

[00:03:55]So, I think the focal point will be on this little bit of the underpass at the bottom.

[00:04:00]And then you've got the uh the two bridges that are under construction.

[00:04:03]Like we said before, that first one needs to get in place so they can divert this road round and remove that temporary road.

[00:04:10]You see that landscaped area on the left where they seem to have been putting all the soil and all the muck they've been digging out?

[00:04:16]That's definitely changed over the last few weeks and months.

[00:04:19]And as we head down to the River Great Ouse, the crane, the concrete pump, all gone.

[00:04:25]There's some concrete left on the left-hand side.

[00:04:29]And we talked about these last week.

[00:04:32]And someone said they're in um that bridge like top bits. I don't remember the actual name.

[00:04:39]And they'll be put in place. I guess that's when they build up. And it looks like they're starting to build up into that now, doesn't it?

[00:04:44]See there at the end. I don't think that was in place last week.

[00:04:48]Looks like the start of the embankment.

[00:04:50]And looking up over Barford Road up towards the uh East Coast Main Line.

[00:04:56]So, there's the River Great Ouse bridge.

[00:04:59]Little Barford Road, isn't it, up there?

[00:05:01]Or Great Barford Road?

[00:05:03]My mind lets me down. It's been a busy day today.

[00:05:06]Watched the Champions League final earlier.

[00:05:10]Seemed to go on for hours. Nail-biting stuff.

[00:05:13]But there's the uh look back towards Bedford.

[00:05:17]You can see there the two cranes busy on this Saturday morning. You know, there's there's plenty of signs up saying the core hours of the scheme. But it's rare to come along and see nothing happening.

[00:05:29]Those bridges, like I said, really starting to take shape.

[00:05:32]Southbound A1 completely closed this weekend, by the look of that.

[00:05:38]But as we come across, is there going to be a plan crossing added there? Just next to that bridge.

[00:05:43]That would add absolute chaos if we start getting traffic coming out of there, hopefully they'll continue to use the bridges as they're using to prevent that. So, I guess we'll see over the next few weeks and months.

[00:05:55]As we come around the back, such a tidy site now, isn't it? And they are cracking on with these bridges.

[00:06:02]They are rest of the scheme as we've seen around, got tarmac going down as well.

[00:06:08]After go with the claxon in a few weeks and have a a good look there.

[00:06:13]I'm going to try and do that in a fortnight.

[00:06:16]But yeah, you can see plenty on site, all these changes going on. Like I said, there's a couple of weeks of road works coming up, full closure here at the Black Cat.

[00:06:26]Looks like they maintain the A421 as they can.

[00:06:30]And they only the close of the underpass this week.

[00:06:34]I know the A1 south open isn't it? Look at the traffic just coming down there.

[00:06:38]It's very very quiet.

[00:06:42]But yeah, the updates are coming thick and fast. Like I said, going to keep on these weekly updates.

[00:06:47]Pictures come on Facebook on a a Sunday as well. I don't really do any updates from the Black Cat in the week unless I get a message saying there's bridge beams.

[00:06:57]But I'll be keeping those Universal Studios updates coming as well.

[00:07:00]Luton Town video hopefully on Monday mornings on YouTube, photos on you on Facebook as well.

[00:07:08]And as we look across to where they were doing those drainage works last week under the southbound carriageway.

[00:07:14]Looks like they're still in place, still going on there.

[00:07:16]>> [snorts] >> There's a massive bit of plant leaves to the higher place.

[00:07:20]So, they're not complete yet.

[00:07:22]Looks like they're complete under the northbound carriageway, isn't it? You can see the um culvert running under.

[00:07:29]But on the far side where they're building, I guess, for the underpass cuz the A1's going to run through the middle there.

[00:07:36]You'll need a some more drainage works, so maybe that's what's going on.

[00:07:40]Again, we're going to have East-West Rail, aren't we? Probably about here-ish, I think it is.

[00:07:45]Running across this empty bit of land on the on the bottom of your left screen.

[00:07:50]And then running across into the distance.

[00:07:54]As they've um had to build quite a big bridge over the River Great Ouse there.

[00:08:00]I wonder what that will mean with East West Rail and how that will be conquered.

[00:08:04]But that's all to come in the future.

[00:08:06]I did get asked if I'll be following East West Rail. And there there'll be bits and pieces. We did start the channel Well, the channel actually started with track days, but when we started putting videos on of construction, it was East West Rail and HS2. So, there'll be bits and pieces added as it happens.

[00:08:24]Will it be carnage for Bedford?

[00:08:27]Some of the stories coming out about road closures and local bits of road that they're going to shut don't sound great, but you know, you get to live with them.

[00:08:36]You look at what's going on in Steeple Claydon with HS2 and the actual chaos and roads have been closed for years while HS2's been built and you know, the villagers are surviving there, but they could really do with the roads being reopened. So, yeah, East West Rail will not be a good thing for some parts of Bedfordshire.

[00:08:55]Others will benefit from it and we'll see that in the future.

[00:08:58]As we come to the end of the Blackout video, just a bit of a ramble today. Bit of a ramble.

[00:09:05]And um some new footage for you guys.

[00:09:07]So, hope you enjoyed it and I'll catch you in the next video, probably next weekend.

[00:09:13]Unless they suddenly bring some bridge beams in.