A1 road
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This page is about the A1 road, in Great Britain. For other A1 roads, see A1 (disambiguation).
The A1 is the longest numbered road in the UK at 409 miles (658 km) long. It joins London, the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England, to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. For much of its path it follows the historic Great North Road. The modern course of the A1 diverges somewhat, particularly where it passed through a town or village that has subsequently been bypassed and where new motorway standard road has been constructed on a more direct route. The road forms part of the unsigned Euroroute E15 which runs from Inverness to Algeciras.
Contents |
[edit] Origins and History
- For the numbering rationale see: Great Britain road numbering scheme
The original A1 route was designated by the Ministry of Transport in 1921, following the medieval Great North Road. This ran from St Paul's Cathedral in Central London through Barnet, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, to Alconbury, where it joined the route of a Roman road, Ermine Street, as far as Colsterworth, where it is joined by the A151. The route was modified in 1927 when bypasses were built around Barnet and Hatfield, the latter being rebuilt in a tunnel during the 1980s. In 1960 Stamford was bypassed, as was Retford in 1961 and St Neots in 1971.
The Great North Road includes stretches of Roman Road including Dere Street, and is mentioned in much English literature, for example Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens.
[edit] Route
The A1 runs from the heart of the City of London at St. Pauls Cathedral to the centre of Scotland's capital, Edinburgh.
The A1 runs out of London through Islington (where Upper Street forms part of its route), up Holloway Road, through Barnet, Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn, Stevenage, Baldock, Biggleswade, Sandy, and St Neots. Continuing north, the A1 runs on modern bypasses around Grantham, Newark-on-Trent, Retford, Bawtry, Doncaster, Knottingley, Garforth, Wetherby, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Scotch Corner, Darlington, Durham, Chester-le-Street, past the Angel of the North sculpture in Gateshead, around Newcastle upon Tyne, Morpeth, Alnwick, Berwick-upon-Tweed, into Scotland, past Dunbar, Haddington and Musselburgh before finally arriving in Edinburgh at the East End of Princes Street near Waverley Station at the junction of the A7, A8 and A900 roads.
[edit] Improvements underway
An upgrade of the Black Cat Roundabout at the junction with the A421 (Bedford Road) is almost complete with the Great Barford A421 bypass opening in 24th August 2006<ref>highwyas Agency - A421 Great Barford Bypass Scheme Page</ref>.
Work has started in August 2006 to replace the six roundabouts (Blyth (A614), Apleyhead (A614/A57), Markham Moor (A57), Gonerby Moor (B1174), Colsterworth (A151) and the junction of A1/B6403, and Carpenters Lodge (Stamford) (B1081)) on the A1 between Blyth and the A1(M) section to Alconbury with grade separated junctions. Once complete this will provide a fully grade separated route between the Buckden roundabout (just north of St Neots and approximately 4 miles north of the Black Cat roundabout) and just south of Berwick upon Tweed<ref>Highways Agency - A1 Peterborough to Blyth Grade Separated Junctions Scheme Page</ref>.
[edit] Future improvements
There is a proposal to link with the main section of the A14 at Brampton Hut roundabout with a planned A14 southerly bypass of Huntingdon <ref>Highways Agency - A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton Scheme Page</ref>.
Improvements to the road north of Newcastle upon Tyne were planned where the road consists mostly of single carriageway sections as opposed to a combination of dual carriageway and motorway to the south. Plans to dual the road between Morpeth and Felton and between Adderstone and Belford were shelved in 2006 as they were not considered a regional priority<ref>Northumberland Today - A1 dualling hopes dashed - 13/07/2006</ref> by central government. There are no current plans to dual the whole of the A1 route between Newcastle and Edinburgh, despite fierce campaigns in the past to make this so.
[edit] Expressway
In Scotland a section of the road has been upgraded to motorway standard and classified as a Special Road, but is not designated as the A1(M). This runs from the east of Edinburgh to Dunbar.
[edit] A1(M)
Some sections of the A1 have been upgraded to motorway standard. These are known as the A1(M). These include:
- A stretch between the M25 at South Mimms to just north of Baldock;
- The four lane Peterborough section from the Alconbury junction near Huntingdon to Orton Southgate near Peterborough; this stretch starts just north of the A14 junction proper and receives traffic from the A14 eastbound from the M6 and westbound from the A14 spur and M11.
- The Doncaster bypass, which intersects the M18 (this was the first section of motorway on the A1 and one of the earliest sections of motorway built in the United Kingdom);
- The new Hook Moor section, from Darrington, intersects with the M62 adjacent to Ferrybridge power station and is joined by the end of the M1 at Aberford.
- A relatively new section which now runs from Wetherby to Dishforth, past Harrogate, Ripon and Boroughbridge. The southern stretch to the River Wharfe bridge opened in August 2005. This is separated from the existing Hook Moor section by only around 6.5 miles of dual carriageway. It is planned that this will be upgraded to three lanes by 2010, meaning that three lane motorway will run from Darrington to Dishforth.
- The final stretch from Scotch Corner in North Yorkshire to Washington in Tyne and Wear through County Durham.
[edit] Barton to Newcastle
| ||
| A1(M) motorway | ||
| Length | 30 miles 48 km | |
| Direction | North - South | |
| Start | Barton | |
| Primary destinations | Chester-le-Street Darlington Durham Scotch Corner | |
| End | Washington | |
| Construction dates | 1999 - 2006 | |
| Motorways joined | 57 - Image:UK motorway A66(M).PNG A66(M) motorway 65 - Image:UK motorway A194(M).PNG A194(M) motorway | |
| Euroroute(s) |
| |
|---|---|---|
This section in stages:
- Junctions 56 to 59 opened in 1965
- Junctions 59 to 63 opened in 1969
- Junctions 63 to 65 opened in 1970
[edit] Junctions
| A1(M) Motorway | ||
| Northbound exits | Junction | Southbound exits |
| Road continues as A1 to Newcastle | J65 | Washington A1231 Non motorway traffic |
| South Shields, Tyne Tunnel A194(M) | Start of Motorway | |
| Washington Services | ||
| Washington A195 | J64 | Washington A195 |
| Chester-le-Street A167 Stanley A693 | J63 | Chester-le-Street A167 Stanley A693 |
| Durham, Sunderland A690 | J62 | Durham A690 |
| Spennymoor A688 Durham A177 | J61 | Bishop Auckland, Spennymoor A688 |
| Hartlepool, Ferryhill A689 | J60 | Newton Aycliffe, Hartlepool A689 |
| Newton Aycliffe A167 | J59 | Darlington, Stockton A167 |
| Shildon, Bishop Auckland A68 | J58 | Darlington A68 |
| Darlington, Stockton A66(M) | J57 | No exit |
| Start of Motorway | J56 | Melsonby, Barton B6275 |
| Melsonby, Barton B6275 Non motorway traffic | Road continues as A1 towards Wetherby | |
[edit] Wetherby to Dishforth
|
| ||
| A1(M) motorway | ||
| Length | 17 miles 27 km | |
| Direction | North - South | |
| Start | Wetherby | |
| Primary destinations | ||
| End | Dishforth | |
| Construction dates | 1995 - 2005 | |
| Motorways joined | none | |
| Euroroute(s) |
| |
|---|---|---|
This section opened in stages:
[edit] Junctions
| A1(M) Motorway | ||
| Northbound exits | Junction | Southbound exits |
| Road continues as A1 to Durham | J49 | Thirsk, Middlesbrough A168 (A19) Non motorway traffic |
| Thirsk, Middlesbrough A168 (A19) | Start of Motorway | |
| Ripon, Boroughbridge A168 | J48 | Boroughbridge A168 Knaresborough A6055 |
| Knaresborough, Harrogate A59 | J47 | York, Knaresborough A59 |
| Start of Motorway | J46 | Kirk Deighton, Wetherby A168 |
| Kirk Deighton, Wetherby A168 Non motorway traffic | Road continues as A1 to Doncaster | |
[edit] M62 to Wetherby
|
| ||
| A1(M) motorway | ||
| Length | miles km | |
| Direction | North - South | |
| Start | Darrington | |
| Primary destinations | Wetherby | |
| End | Bramham | |
| Construction dates | 1999 - 2006 | |
| Motorways joined | 41 -  M62 motorway 43 -  M1 motorway | |
| Euroroute(s) |
| |
|---|---|---|
This section opened in sections:
- Junctions 43 to 44 opened in 1999
- When this section opened it ended at a temporary terminus south of the M1. There was no exit at the southern end for non-motorway traffic, which left non-permitted traffic no where to go.
- This is the most recent upgrade of the road, which upgraded the previous two-lane dual carriageway, much of which was on a substandard alignment to a dual 3-lane motorway. The northern section of the upgrade, bypassing Fairburn village opened to traffic in April 2005 with a temporary connection with the existing A1 between Fairburn and Brotherton. The southern section, with a free-flow interchange with the M62 motorway opened to traffic on 13 January 2006.
[edit] Junctions
| A1(M) Motorway | ||
| Northbound exits | Junction | Southbound exits |
| Road continues as A1 to Durham | J44 | Leeds, York A64 Non motorway traffic |
| Leeds, York A64 | Start of Motorway | |
| No exit | J43 | The SOUTH, Leeds M1 |
| Leeds, Selby A63 | J42 | Selby A63 |
| Hull, Goole, Manchester, Pontefract, Leeds M62 | J41 | Hull, Goole, Manchester, Pontefract, Leeds M62 |
| Start of Motorway | J40 | No exit |
| Knottingley A162 Non motorway traffic | Road continues as A1 to Doncaster | |
[edit] Doncaster Bypass
|
| ||
| A1(M) motorway | ||
| Length | 15.0 miles 24.1 km | |
| Direction | North - South | |
| Start | Blyth | |
| Primary destinations | ||
| End | Carcroft | |
| Construction dates | 1961 - complete route | |
| Motorways joined | 35 -  M18 motorway | |
| Euroroute(s) |
| |
|---|---|---|
This section opened in 1961.
[edit] Junctions
| A1(M) Motorway | ||
| Northbound exits | Junction | Southbound exits |
| Road continues as A1 to Wetherby | J38 | South Elmsall, Ackworth, Wakefield A638 Non motorway traffic |
| South Elmsall, Ackworth, Wakefield A638 | Start of Motorway | |
| Barnsley, Thurnscoe A635 | J37 | Barnsley, Thurnscoe A635 |
| Doncaster, Doncaster Railport, Conisbrough A630 | J36 | Doncaster, Doncaster Railport, Conisbrough A630 |
| Sheffield, Rotherham Hull, Scunthorpe, Humberside Airport M18 | J35 | Sheffield, Rotherham Hull, Scunthorpe, Humberside Airport M18 |
| Start of motorway | J34 Terminus | The SOUTH, Newark A1 Bawtry A614 Blyth B6045 |
[edit] Alconbury to Peterborough
|
| ||
| A1(M) motorway | ||
| Length | 14.0 miles 22.5 km | |
| Direction | North - South | |
| Start | Alconbury | |
| Primary destinations | ||
| End | Peterborough | |
| Construction dates | 1998 - Complete Route | |
| Motorways joined | none | |
| Euroroute(s) |
| |
|---|---|---|
This section opened in 1998.
[edit] Junctions
| A1(M) Motorway | ||
| Northbound exits | Junction | Southbound exits |
| Road continues as A1 to Newark | J17 | Peterborough A1139 Peterborough Services Non motorway traffic |
| Peterborough A1139 Peterborough Services | Start of Motorway | |
| Yaxley, Stilton A15 | J16 | Yaxley, Stilton A15 |
| Sawtry B1043 | J15 | Sawtry B1043 |
| No exit | J14 | Alconbury, Huntingdon, Cambridge, Felixstowe A14 (M11) |
| Start of Motorway | J14 | No exit |
| Alconbury Non motorway traffic | Road continues as A1 to Sandy | |
[edit] M25 to Baldock
|
| ||
| A1(M) motorway | ||
| Length | 23 miles 37 km | |
| Direction | North - South | |
| Start | South Mimms | |
| Primary destinations | Hatfield Welwyn Garden City Stevenage | |
| End | Baldock | |
| Construction dates | 1962 - 1986 | |
| Motorways joined | 1 -  M25 motorway | |
| Euroroute(s) |
| |
|---|---|---|
This section opened in stages:
- Junctions 1 to 2 opened in 1979
- Junctions 2 to 4 opened in 1986
- Junctions 4 to 6 opened in 1973
- Junctions 6 to 8 opened in 1962
- Junctions 8 to 10 opened in 1967
[edit] Junctions
| A1(M) Motorway | ||
| Northbound exits | Junction | Southbound exits |
| Road continues as A1 to Sandy | J10 | Stotfold, Henlow A507 Baldock services Non motorway traffic |
| Stotfold, Henlow A507 Baldock Services | Start of Motorway | |
| Letchworth, Baldock A6141 | J9 | Letchworth, Baldock, Hitchin A6141 |
| Hitchin, Stevenage A602 | J8 | Stevenage A602 |
| Stevenage, Ware A602 | J7 | Stevenage, Ware A602 |
| Welwyn, Welwyn Garden City A1000 | J6 | Welwyn, Welwyn Garden City A1000 |
| No exit | J5 | No exit |
| Welwyn Garden City, Hertford A414 | J4 | Welwyn Garden City, Hertford A414 |
| Hatfield Tunnel | ||
| St Albans A414 | J3 | St Albans A414 Potters Bar A1001 |
| Hatfield A1001 | J2 | No exit |
| Start of Motorway | J1 | Dartford (M11, M20) Heathrow (M1, M40 , M4) M25 Barnet A1081 South Mimms services |
| Dartford (M11, M20) Heathrow (M1, M40 , M4) M25 Barnet A1081 South Mimms Services Non motorway traffic | Road continues as A1 to Central London | |
[edit] Unfullfilled plans
A proposal to replace the road with a parallel motorway between Baldock and Alconbury thus giving a continuous motorway to Peterborough, was dropped as too expensive, despite the very poor alignment and accident record on this section. The same decision dropped the proposed conversion to motorway north of Peterborough to Grantham <ref>House of Commons Hansard 20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1180</ref>.
[edit] Future plans
Further sections of motorway upgrades are planned, which would ultimately create a single motorway running from Doncaster to Gateshead.
The next two sections of motorway likely to be built are from Bramham (the A1(M)/A64 junction) to Wetherby, and from Dishforth (A1(M)/A168 to Barton (end of northernmost section of A1(M)). The Bramham to Wetherby scheme public inquiry began on 18th October 2006<ref>Highways Agency Press Release - 11/10/2006</ref>. Designed by James Poyner, construction of the Dishforth to Barton scheme is scheduled to start in April 2008.
Once these two schemes are complete, which is currently scheduled for 2011, then the Newcastle upon Tyne area will be connected to the rest of the national motorway network. There will be a short section of normal dual-carriageway remaining on the A1 between Doncaster and the M62 motorway.
[edit] Trivia
[edit] Road signs
The A1 is the closest thing Britain has to a cult road, and so some of its road signs achieved some sort of mythical status.
- Near the southern end are signs saying "Hatfield and the North". These signs gave their name to 70s rock band Hatfield and the North.
- At the Northern end, signs used to say "London and the South". The signs in Edinburgh have now been changed to just say "Berwick A1".
- Leeds is exactly 198 miles on the A1 from both capital cities.
- At the northern end of the Doncaster bypass is a clearway sign with attached plate prohibiting stopping for 62 miles, which technically (2006) is no longer valid with the introduction of the new motorway sections from Darrington north, however it seems to have been overlooked and still remains.
[edit] Other
The A1(M) is mentioned in the song Gabadon by Sheffield band Haze. Scotch Corner is mentioned by Jethro Tull.
- The East Coast Main Line runs alongside the A1 for most of its length, and passes through most of the same principal towns as the road along the way. The railway also terminates at exactly the same places as the road either end - Waverley station in Edinburgh is immediately adjacent to the A1's northern terminus on Princes Street, equally the southern terminus of the ECML, King's Cross station, is next to York Way, close to the junction of Upper Street and Pentonville Road, currently the beginning of the A1.
- During construction of a Motorway section of the A1 near to Welwyn Garden City, Roman baths were discovered on the course of the road. These have been preserved in a cavern underneath the road, and it is possible to visit them: see Welwyn Roman Baths
- Since the changes to the roads on the way to Leeds/York, the road now leads through a former field. On old SatNav systems, it displays that you are driving through the middle of a field.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
<references/>
[edit] External links
- CBRD Motorway Database - A1(M)
- BiffVernon: A1-The Great North Road
- Society for All British Road Enthusiasts entry for the A1
- The Motorway Archive (A1(M))
| Image:UK motorway symbol.svg | Motorways in the United Kingdom | Image:UK motorway symbol.svg |
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| A1(M) • A3(M) • A38(M) • A48(M) • A57(M) • A58(M) A64(M) • A66(M) • A74(M) • A167(M) • A194(M) • A308(M) • A329(M) • A404(M) • A601(M) • A627(M) • A823(M) | ||
| Northern Ireland: M1 • M2 • M3 • M5 • M12 • M22 • A8(M) | edit | |
| Past: M41 • M63 • A18(M) • A40(M) • A41(M) • A102(M) • A6144(M) Unbuilt: M12 • M15 • M64 Future: M4 Toll | ||
| A roads in Zone 1 of the Great Britain road numbering scheme | |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | ||
| A10 - A11 - A12 - A13 - A14 - A15 - A16 - A17 - A18 - A19 | ||
| A100 - A101 - A102 - A105 - A109 - A118 - A120 - A124 - A127 - A129 | ||
| A135 - A140 - A149 - A151 - A159 - A160 - A165 - A167 | ||
| A171 - A179 - A180 - A182 - A189 - A194 | ||
| A1000 - A1058 - A1066 - A1068 - A1079 | ||
| A1081 - A1086 - A1101 - A1156 - A1198 | ||
| A1200 - A1202 - A1205 - A1303 - A1309 | ||
| List of A roads in Zone 1 | ||
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