A1/via Tyne Tunnel
A1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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From: | Washington (NZ280566) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
To: | Seaton Burn (NZ231745) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Via: | Tyne Tunnel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance: | 18.3 miles (29.5 km) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Met (1987): | A1(M), A6115, A194, A184, A19, A1058, A189, A6125, A1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Former Number(s): | A194(M), A184, A108 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Now part of: | A194(M), A184, A19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Primary Destinations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Counties | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
County Durham • Northumberland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Route outline (key) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Junction List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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From 1977 to 1990 the A1 ran around the east of Newcastle upon Tyne, via the Tyne Tunnel (for the current routing in this area see A1/Birtley - Morpeth).
History
In 1977, Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead had had a de facto eastern bypass for a few years, but the A1 still ran through the centre. Though part of that route had been upgraded with a swish new urban motorway avoiding the city centre, the rest of the motorway plans that would provide a decent bypass for through traffic that still served the city centre had been scuppered. As such, various routes were renumbered so as to give a bypass for A1 traffic via the relatively new Tyne Tunnel. The route took over the A194(M) between Birtley and White Mare Pool, the A184 between White Mare Pool and Testos Roundabout and the A108 between Testos and Seaton Burn. Many other roads were renumbered at this time due to the moving of the zone-boundary.
In 1990, the Newcastle Western bypass opened and A1 traffic was diverted that way, undoing most of the renumberings caused by the move eastwards, though what was the A108 became A19.
Route
From the A1(M) at Birtley, north of Washington, the A1 continued as A1(M) along the former/current A194(M) to White Mare Pool, where the route TOTSOed, rather than stay on the shorter and similar quality A194 route. Taking over part of the A184, it met the Sunderland bypass at Testos Roundabout, where it TOTSOed again, heading north to the Tyne Tunnel. At Lindisfarne Interchange it met the A194 again. At Jarrow the A1 had a roundabout with the A185 and then descended into the single-carriageway Tyne Tunnel. On the other side, past the toll booths, there was another roundabout with the A187 and north of there the A1 became dual carriageway again. As the A1 made an arc around Newcastle, a mix of grade separated and roundabout junctions serve North Tyneside towns like Tynemouth and Whitley Bay, as well as eastern suburbs of the city. At Seaton Burn a trumpet linked in with the old route, though north-bound traffic had to use the loop-ramp, rather than a more direct connection.