Nearly 80 options to improve the A10 from Ely to Cambridge have finally been reduced to seven – and all are likely to cost in the region of £200m.

The figures are being studied by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CAPCA).

Results of a virtual public exhibition of the seven options are being presented to members CAPCA members; Covid-19 restrictions made it impossible to hold a public meeting.

The board will hear that there were 6,535 unique visits to the web site outlining the options, with 709 comments submitted.

“The responses indicated significant support for intervention, although there was a spread of opinion about the options,” says the report.

“Issues raised included potential impacts on communities along the route, and a question was raised about the correct approach to the conclusion of the route at Ely.”

Mayor James Palmer, said: “Speak to anyone who lives near the A10 and they will tell you the long history of the severe congestion it suffers.

“It causes misery to thousands of local people, commuters, freight drivers and farmers every day.”

CAPCA studies had shown that “we can now demonstrate the value for money, strategic advantages and improvement of quality of life that improving the A10 can bring”.

The report says that the Government has announced that it would support the next stage of work on A10 junctions, although no figure has been put on that support yet.

A decision on the Combined Authority’s Local Large Majors (LLM) bid for dualling is, says officers, imminent. CAPCA can expect to contribute to ongoing studies with a budget line of £2m - for which approval of the board will be sought.

A working group has been set up to include Highways England, Cambridgeshire County Council and the Greater Cambridge Partnership to take forward work on the interface between the A10 business case and the Milton interchange of the A14.

Although the interchange was not within the scope of the strategic outline business case, CAPCA says this has been identified as “an important interdependency” in their work and will give it close attention in collaboration with partners.