A177
From Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki
| A177 | |||||||||||||||||||
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| From: | Durham (NZ264400) | ||||||||||||||||||
| To: | Stockton on Tees (NZ445197) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 21.7 miles (34.9 km) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Meets: | A167, A1(M), A688, A689, A1027 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Former Number(s): | A1050, A1051 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Now part of: | B6532 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Primary Destinations | |||||||||||||||||||
| Durham (City) • | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Route outline (key) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Route
In the last 30 years the A177 has changed its course twice within Durham City. Originally the A177 started on the A167 at a roundabout to the northwest of Durham City, heading southeast along Southfield Way and Framwellgate Peth. In the late 1970s this northwestern section becoming an extension of the A691. From the Leazes Bowl roundabout on the A690 the A177 headed south along New Elvet and Hallgarth Street to the Mount Joy roundabout.
In the 90s the A177 was re-routed again (probably due to the inability of the Durham City streets to handle HGVs)
Durham - Stockton on Tees
It now starts at the Cock O' the North roundabout to the southwest of the city. It heads in a northeasterly direction along the former A1050, passing the University of Durham's Collingwood and Grey Colleges, then the science laboratories before the traffic lights at the New Inn. The A177 then bears right along Stockton Road to the Mount Joy roundabout.
From the Mount Joy roundabout the speed limit increases from 30 to 40mph and the A177 heads through Great High Wood in a cutting, then passing the Maiden Castle sports hall (used by NUFC for training). At the Rose Tree Inn there is a turning left for the B1198 which leads to A181 and ultimately the A19. The A177 then climbs in a rightward direction, before curving left before the first of two turnings for High Shincliffe, which is followed by a speed derestriction. A 40mph speed limit is reimposed as the A177 enters Bowburn, which drops to 30mph along the main shopping street on the approach to A1(M) junction 61.
The route of the A177 changed again here in the 90s - originally it passed through Coxhoe (where the roads have a 17 tonne weight limit), but since the (formerly-unclassified) Tursdale road was re-engineered, removing the bends, the A177 passes along this road, multiplexing with the (primary) A688. The A177 reappears at a roundabout underneath the 275kV electricity pylons heading for the Thinford sub-station, heading east across the A1(M) and to the south of Coxhoe. As the road curves right there is a turning for Trimdon and Fishburn (both on the B1278). The next few miles are relatively straight and fast, with a brief dual-carriageway section at the turning for Cornforth. After the B1278 turning, the road passes the Hardwick Hall hotel and country park, before ending just over a mile later at the A689.
The A177 then multiplexes with the (primary) A689 before diverging again at the next roundabout. The A177 heads southeast for Stockton-on-Tees as a dual carriageway (in sections with widely separated carriageways). The southbound carriageway here is the original S2 route, while wide enough for two lanes it largely hatched down to a single lane with occasional sections of D2. The northbound carriageway however maintains two lanes throughout this section. This bit of D2 peters out after a couple of miles just before Thorpe Larches.
After two miles of single carriageway the road becomes dual again along the Thorpe Thewles bypass, passing under two line of pylons before entering the suburbs of Stockton-on-Tees. A roundabout provides access to the B1274 for access to Billingham. In Stockton itself, after meeting the A1027 ring road, the road follows the sweeping new-build Durham Road bypass to end on the A1305 inner Stockton ring road, near the northern end of the High Street.
Original Author(s): Lonewolf
