Mr Lloyd said: “Both Steve and I are delighted all the mandatory checks have now been carried out and the route has been handed over to the Council.

CONTRACTOS BAM Nuttall have completed the busway project and handed over the route to Cambridgeshire County Council.

Mark Lloyd, chief executive of Cambridgeshire County Council, met with BAM Nuttall’s top boss – Steve Fox – on Thursday to finalise the completion of the contract and the handover of the project.

Mr Lloyd said: “Both Steve and I are delighted all the mandatory checks have now been carried out and the route has been handed over to the Council. The Council’s objective has always been to deliver a high quality route that will provide a fantastic service for our communities for many years to come. The handover of the route is the first big step towards the route opening.”

Steve Fox, BAM Nuttall’s chief executive, said: “BAM Nuttall is very proud to have built the longest Guided Busway in the world, which once open, will provide a world beating service. I am glad both the council and BAM Nuttall have taken a positive step forward today. I, like everyone at BAM Nuttall, look forward to seeing buses running along this high quality scheme as soon as possible.”

Roy Pegram, Cambridgeshire County Council’s cabinet member for growth, infrastructure and strategic planning, said: “The handover of The Busway is the news residents have been looking forward to. This is the first big step towards the route opening, but I would like to remind residents that the announcement of the opening date is still some way off.

“We expect around 3.5 million trips per year will be made on the route once it opens and it will certainly be the best way to travel to avoid the frequent queues and congestion on the A14.”

At the beginning of May the council will begin adding a blacktop surface to the cycleway between Swavesey and Milton Road, as well as surfacing the southern section. An additional junction to help access to the Clay Farm development – funded by developers – will also be carried out.