A1(M) Leeming - Barton

[wrinkly]

I wasn't getting upset, or moaning. To be honest I thought you were moaning when you wrote about how long it was taking.

I mostly prefer to read and post facts rather than opinions. I'm sorry you think that pedantic.

I apologise for not putting a smiley after "now it seems I'm having to do it again", which was meant to be light-hearted.

[Mark Hewitt]

No need to get upset, jeez. The pedantry and moaning on here at the moment is getting really off putting.

Who's upset? Only you I think? Why it is pedantry to say that work didn't start in 2012 and only did so in 2014? Why is that moaning? I'm really confused here.

[Tinpusher]

Catterick Central junction is fun to negotiate in the dark at the moment. So many bollards illuminated by my lights, it's beautiful but confusing as I could barely make out the correct gap between them. They overlap at various angles so the clear route to take does not become clear until late in the decision making process.

[Mikeg]

Catterick Central junction is fun to negotiate in the dark at the moment. So many bollards illuminated by my lights, it's beautiful but confusing as I could barely make out the correct gap between them. They overlap at various angles so the clear route to take does not become clear until late in the decision making process.

It was fun last Friday night going north. Stopped just passed the new bridge at 4:30pm and started moving again at 5:45pm!

[Repmobile]

I see that the HE webpage for this scheme was updated yesterday as follows:

Progress report
Our work to upgrade the existing A1 between Leeming and Barton is now around 90% complete. The project is being carried out by contractors Carillion Morgan Sindall JV on our behalf. We have opened major sections of new carriageway, particularly in the area around Catterick and completed the structural works to most of the new bridges. We are beginning to focus our attention to the works which will convert the old A1 to a local access road, particularly around Catterick and also to the south of Scotch Corner.

What next?
Our scheme will be focussed on finishing off sections of the carriageway and looking to complete works to the local access road in 2017. We also have a number of finishing works to do to complete the new Fort bridge crossing the A1 at Catterick Racecourse. A key part of this scheme also includes accommodation works for adjacent landowners affected by the construction and there are there are a number of private access tracks and field entrances to complete.


So, 90% finished now. Is it just me or does this final 10% seem to be taking ages to finish? I know most of the main carriageway is ready or nearly ready and it is sections of the LAR where most work seems to be being carried out at the moment. However the bridges at Brompton on Swale and replacement of Fort Bridge do not seem to have been making much visible progress of late.

[Chris Bertram]

So, 90% finished now. Is it just me or does this final 10% seem to be taking ages to finish?

A slight variation on this, but on project management courses, we were taught the 80:20 rule of project scheduling - the first 80% of the work takes 80% of the time, the final 20% takes the remaining 80% of the time.

[wrinkly]

The last 10 or 20% is particularly difficult in the case of an online upgrade as it tends to require a whole series of alterations to the traffic diversions, each of which only frees up a relatively small area for works, e.g. where previous crossovers were located.

I drove the route both ways on Sunday and thought quite a lot remains to be done, including sections of central barrier, areas of wearing course, reconstruction of the northbound off- and southbond on-slips at Barton, the link from Scotch Corner roundabout to the new roundabout NW of it, comtinuing alterations to the side roads at Catterick South, the link from the eastern roundabout at Catterick Central to the bypassed bypass, reconstruction of the second carriageway under Scotch Corner, etc.

I posted above that the speed limit from Leming Bar to Catterick is to be increased to 60 at Christmas. Maybe that stretch will become 3 lanes as well?

[Mark Hewitt]

But.. We are nearly there. When you look at it with starting with the Wetherby upgrade then it's been a long road (pun intended)

[wrinkly]

It appears that the speed limit on the A1 from 2km south of Leeming Bar to somewhere near Catterick is to be incresed from 50 to 60 from 23 Dec.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/2646430

Another notice today confirming this. Apparently it only applies over the Christmas hols when no work is taking place.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/2669293

[wrinkly]

I took a look today. The temporary 60 limit extends from Leeming Bar to a point about half a mile south of the temporary southbound on/off slip at Catterick South.

Other than that there's very little obvious change in the last couple of months. No new sections of LAR are open.

[Heather30]

What is the old shell garage on the old A1 high brough turning into

[Mikeg]

I took a look today. The temporary 60 limit extends from Leeming Bar to a point about half a mile south of the temporary southbound on/off slip at Catterick South.

Other than that there's very little obvious change in the last couple of months. No new sections of LAR are open.

All back to 50 this week

[Heather30]

The road is back to a 50 limit
It's the garage on the old road former A1 that is getting done up.
No signs no news yet ? Of what this is to be??

[ionatransit]

Probably another hand car wash...

[wrinkly]

This is a boring stage of the job. There's very little obvious change from before Christmas.

Six months after it opened there's still no signage for the Bedale bypass from the J51 slip roads.

Considering how often VMSs are not operational during major roadworks, it's interesting to note that the old VMS on the former northbound carriageway (to become LAR) at High Brough Moor was in use today to warn drivers on the A1 about surface water.

[moggsy]

This is a boring stage of the job. There's very little obvious change from before Christmas.

Six months after it opened there's still no signage for the Bedale bypass from the J51 slip roads.

Considering how often VMSs are not operational during major roadworks, it's interesting to note that the old VMS on the former northbound carriageway (to become LAR) at High Brough Moor was in use today to warn drivers on the A1 about surface water.

I really dont understand the lack of signs for the Bedale bypass? There are no signs on the approach via the A6055 from the services, none from the A1 exits both North & South? Should this not have been in the contract for the bypass build? Or do they build a new road and then not have to update the signs on the approach?

[farmermike]

Sorry if this has already been asked, but is there any news of MOTO upgrading its services at Motel Leeming to full MSA spec for which it won planning consent a few years ago? There were three other competing schemes all of which had direct access to the A1(M) unlike the MOTO site which is almost a mile from Junction 51.

[Osthagen]

I'm not sure exactly how relevant this information is to the Leeming-Barton upgrades...

But, driving the Barton-Washington section of the A1(M) earlier this evening, I noticed that the chainage (distance in kilometers from the beginning of the route/nearest major town) seems to be patched (with the distance to Barton, of course). Underneath, I would imagine, lies the distance to the southern end of the completed Darrington-Washington route?

[wrinkly]

driving the Barton-Washington section of the A1(M) earlier this evening, I noticed that the chainage (distance in kilometers from the beginning of the route/nearest major town) seems to be patched (with the distance to Barton, of course). Underneath, I would imagine, lies the distance to the southern end of the completed Darrington-Washington route?

There's a previous thread about this. I'll have a look for it.

I think this section always had marker posts numbered from Barton, then DLSs (Driver Location Signs) were added. At first they had the same numbers but then had to be patched with a letter D to meet the uniqueness requirement for DLSs.

I think Leeming to Barton will be numbered from Blyth, the south end of the Doncaster bypass. DLSs on the A1(M) in Yorkshire have for some unknown reason been in short supply until now, but marker posts count from Blyth.

[wrinkly]

My memory of what's under the patches was wrong. The old thread I was thinking of is here:

www.sabre-roads.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25302