Highways England uses Minecraft to build A428 Black Cat

Highways England have built a Minecraft model of the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet scheme plan in order to engage primary school pupils.

The pupils of Castle Newnham Primary School in Bedfordshire were able to explore a vast Minecraft model of the dual carriageway, three tier junctions, and the Black Cat roundabout, all consisting of an enormous 2,393,814,525 blocks in the game.

The morning sessions, where the students explored the road plan, were held in concurrence with a public consultation on the outdated plans that have been put on show for the A428 scheme between Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Programme lead, Lee Galloway stated: “This is the first time a major road improvement scheme has been created using blocks in Minecraft, and we’re excited that local Minecraft experts have had a chance to thoroughly explore plans in the game, visiting sites such as the three-tier Black Cat junction and the new 10-mile duel carriageway.

“By using Minecraft in this public consultation, we hope to engage a new younger audience to see the roads that will shape their region for years to come, and hopefully inspire the next generation of engineers to build them.”

The physical project would convert the only remaining section of single carriageway on the A428 into dual carriageway, save drivers up to an hour and a half on their journeys, and would replace the current route which carries twice the traffic it was designed for while also cutting through villages and small communities.

The Minecraft model of the project was created by the expert company, Blockbuilders CIC, who specialise in motivating young people within the fields of planning, environment, and local history using Minecraft.

Co-Director at Blockbuilders C.I.C, Megan Leckie stated: “For us it is so important to be engaging young people in these schemes as they are focused on the future. The local young people will be the ones living with the changes for the longest period, so it’s vital they be included.”

The A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet scheme server is open to all Minecraft users.

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