M1 Junction 2

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Nick_A34
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M1 Junction 2

Post by Nick_A34 »

https://www.britishpathe.com/thumbnails.php?id=86571

Not sure if this has been posted before, but I think I've found the original M1 Jucntion 2 on the British Pathe website.

As you approach the junction you can see the signs for A1 Hatfield & Aylesbury on the right. On the left you will see a National Petrol station. National became part of BP and there is still a BP station on the site. There is also a bus stop on the left, which I believe is still there.

Enjoy!

Nick
Last edited by Nick_A34 on Mon Sep 11, 2006 15:08, edited 1 time in total.
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JohnnyMo
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Post by JohnnyMo »

Which way to Alylesbury, See 0 & 15 via M1 while 10 & 30 seems to say via A1 (A41)
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looks right to me

Post by drpsg »

The building about 12 s in is still on the A41 (A1) just past fiveways junction - I think it's a Nissan garage now. The BP station is actually further up now, probably where the Motorway sign is. What it doesn't show is how the road crosses over the motorway onto the right side. Oh, you can put any details in and then download it.
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Post by BobSykes »

Great footage isn't it. I got a bit confused by it first time it was posted on here but never got round to posting about it. Having watched it again today, I'm either lost or it all seems jumbled up to me.

We start off approaching a set of lights with the M1 slip road just beyond. But there's no junction there now, is there? So what road merged in from the left, just after the National garage? The M1 is there now isn't it?

The M1 j1-j2 presumably hasn't been built yet (or finished) if this mystery road is still there. The long line of hitch-hikers seems to confirm this (it is, after all, the start of the M1 out of London at this time). As does the big blue motorway works sign (I'm guessing this says "London to Yorkshire Motorway (M.1)").

And yet as we follow the curving slip road, we have a carriageway merging in from the left seemingly - evidenced by the lighting columns to our left and the merge warning signs. I can only assume this is the northbound M1 mainline - but if so, then it must be open. Or is this some other road merging in from the left with us becoming the mainline?

I'm confused...

Anyhow, those lighting columns are great - concrete ones and the steel ones. And it leaves me all misty eyed to see roads how they should be, unencumbered by clutter, red markings, hatchings, yellow-backed signs - and suburban NSL dual carriageways!
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Post by BobSykes »

BobSykes wrote:So what road merged in from the left, just after the National garage? The M1 is there now isn't it?
Looking at Get-a-map, I can only assume that before the j1-j2 stretch was built, the A1 to M1 flyover at the Fiveways Junction predates the M1 extension and carried northbound A1 traffic onto the A1 (not M1) just past the National garage? The map seems to suggest the footbridge is still there.

Still doesn't explain the carriageway joining the M1 from the left at old j2 - unless there was another slip road from the A1 flyover onto the M1 which followed the current M1 mainline?
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Post by BobSykes »

Apologies for answering my own questions (!), but this 1975 map seems to confirm the position was as per my last post:

http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/gallery/d ... =0&pos=263

I guess you all knew this anyway... :roll:
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Post by DavidBrown »

I have this National Road map from 1969.

Image

It shows how M1 J2 was, but it also shows the existing J2 as it is today. Plus it gives us no clues as to what theat road merging in from the left is.
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Post by SarahJ »

If you look carefully, you can still see the old slips and even old underpass.

I've seen some pics of these here somewhere as well.

SJ
Last edited by SarahJ on Tue Sep 12, 2006 13:22, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by DavidBrown »

Looking on Google Earth, that footbridge isn't the one that's there now.

Now, on the video, skip to about 40 seconds. You can see fast moving traffic coming from the left, so presumably, it is what is now the M1 mainline, and merged in like a standard slip road. This would mean that Bob's map is partially correct, as in there was a right-hand entry. It doesn't show Fiveways very well, but this is what I think it used to be like.

Image
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Post by Lonewolf »

I've seen some pics of here somewhere as well.
Yes they were on the Great North Way thread.

HERE (you have to click the links)

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mittfh
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Post by mittfh »

Im sure I remember seeing a thread or article sometime about the M1 J2 temporary terminus - including a photographic tour of what remains today...
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Post by Derek »

mittfh wrote:Im sure I remember seeing a thread or article sometime about the M1 J2 temporary terminus - including a photographic tour of what remains today...
Yes there was, I rmemeber that. I seem to think Tom Sutch posted them, but they're not on his Apex Corner site.

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Tom
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Post by Tom »

Derek wrote:
mittfh wrote:Im sure I remember seeing a thread or article sometime about the M1 J2 temporary terminus - including a photographic tour of what remains today...
Yes there was, I rmemeber that. I seem to think Tom Sutch posted them, but they're not on his Apex Corner site.
Oh yes, they are!

Can I throw this (unfortunately, a bit too diagrammatic) map into the mix, too (from the BP 1975 atlas)...
Image
I'm still completely puzzled as to how the Fiveways Corner junction looked. My guess is that before the M1 arrived at all, there was a temporary Hogarth/Temple Meads style flyover for A1-A1 northbound traffic (the red flyover), then this was removed and replaced by the big concrete flyovers for M1 -- I can't imagine the situation on the map above actually existing :?
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OldJ2 Southbound exit

Post by drpsg »

The Old junction 2 southbound exit still exists. If you park in the homebase/argos carpark, there are steps down from the A41 (A1) and you can walk along it. Or there is a road that goes under the A41 (A1) that you can get to it by. It would be useful if you could still get onto the M1 from the A41.
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Post by BigToe »

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Post by Sabrista »

BigToe wrote:Or more easilier... go to http://www.btinternet.com/~roads/pix/m1 ... oldj2.html :P
You obviously haven't heard the expression, "Nobody loves a smarta*se".

:P to you too :)

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Post by BigToe »

Sabrista wrote: You obviously haven't heard the expression, "Nobody loves a smarta*se".
Heh... I'm not a smarta*se, I can just remember old websites I visit :wink: :P
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Tom
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Post by Tom »

BigToe wrote:Heh... I'm not a smarta*se, I can just remember old websites I visit
Or ones that are linked to two messages above yours :P
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Post by ForestChav »

BigToe wrote:
Sabrista wrote: You obviously haven't heard the expression, "Nobody loves a smarta*se".
Heh... I'm not a smarta*se, I can just remember old websites I visit :wink: :P
You're not? That's news :D
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Post by BigToe »

Tom wrote:
BigToe wrote:Heh... I'm not a smarta*se, I can just remember old websites I visit
Or ones that are linked to two messages above yours :P
You got me! But, I didn't even have to see the link to know the URL it pointed to... all I read from that post was the
and the map :P

Or I just didn't look before I typed :P
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