A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

[dcrc2]

What has Ellington to do with it ? Its not part of the main construction zone and I sincerely doubt many HGV drivers are going to choose Grafham road to Buckden.

The main problem there is with northbound traffic on the A1, when there is a night closure between Buckden and Brampton Hut. The official (and sensible) diversion requires you to turn off at St Neots to take the A428 and A1198. But the A1 isn't actually closed at the A428 junction - the actual point of the closure is at the Buckden roundabout. So a lot of traffic takes a chance on continuing up past St Neots hoping that the road is still open, and then when they find the road is closed at Buckden the minor road to Ellington looks rather attractive.

[KeithW]

What has Ellington to do with it ? Its not part of the main construction zone and I sincerely doubt many HGV drivers are going to choose Grafham road to Buckden.

The main problem there is with northbound traffic on the A1, when there is a night closure between Buckden and Brampton Hut. The official (and sensible) diversion requires you to turn off at St Neots to take the A428 and A1198. But the A1 isn't actually closed at the A428 junction - the actual point of the closure is at the Buckden roundabout. So a lot of traffic takes a chance on continuing up past St Neots hoping that the road is still open, and then when they find the road is closed at Buckden the minor road to Ellington looks rather attractive.

I guess its better than heading through Kimbolton !

[Andy33gmail]

In fairness, the closures can be guesswork.

I pass the on-slip at Fen Ditton, which is officially closed at 21:00 most of the time, at that time 2 or 3 days a week.

The actual time of closure varies from 20:55 to never

[roadtester]

Not local to the area but just looked on streetview - I can’t believe the current access to the crematorium! Presumably the left lane is designed for funeral cortèges etc....hardly an appropriate route for one’s final journey. Glad it’s being fixed.

The Crematorium was built pre-war when the road was a lightly used S2.
I have driven a hearse on the A14 e/b, needing to turn around at Girton to access the Crematorium and I could see the w/b was stationary due to an RTA. We were nearly 90 minutes late for the service.

I'm honestly surprised that it wasn't fixed with an access to the rear or something a long time before now. There was a farm track right up to the back that could have been paved to provide access from Oakington road (Dry Drayton junction of the A14), allowing access either via Madingly/Dry Drayton or Girton/Oakington.

Apparently, the crematorium has suffered a "loss of business" during the period of the roadworks.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-c ... e-49098203

[Andy33gmail]

The A14 has been giving the funeral industry plenty of business for decades!

[roadtester]

The A14 has been giving the funeral industry plenty of business for decades!

That's true - at least the crem is conveniently located in that regard.

[Achmelvic]

Question for the council is how many potential customers avoided the crem before the works started as they didn’t like the idea of negotiating a major trunk road with their recently departed loved ones?

Surely once the new access roads are in place they’ll see an increase in custom to above what it was previously that will more than make up for any losses during the work?

[Berk]

It’s a vexed question, because although those links are now in place, the road network still requires the use of the A14 to access the local road network. Even though the crem is now connected to the local network, it’s almost impossible to reach from the Huntingdon side without negotiating Swavesey.

From Cambridge, or St Neots, you’ve got the extended A1307, and you can potentially access that from the A428, although it’s a bit of a drag.

[B1040]

Question for the council is how many potential customers avoided the crem before the works started as they didn’t like the idea of negotiating a major trunk road with their recently departed loved ones?

Surely once the new access roads are in place they’ll see an increase in custom to above what it was previously that will more than make up for any losses during the work?

Trouble is, there's not much competition. I don't know what's to the South and East of the city, but to the North and west you have to head to Peterborough or March before you come across another one.

[A9NWIL]

It’s a vexed question, because although those links are now in place, the road network still requires the use of the A14 to access the local road network. Even though the crem is now connected to the local network, it’s almost impossible to reach from the Huntingdon side without negotiating Swavesey.

From Cambridge, or St Neots, you’ve got the extended A1307, and you can potentially access that from the A428, although it’s a bit of a drag.

After the project is finished Huntingdon people wont have to use the A14 to go to the crem they can just use the A1307 when its fully extended.

[roadtester]

Yesterday I crossed the new off-line bit in the B1040 for the first time in ages.

It's very well advanced - in fact to my inexpert eye it looked like the road itself was almost ready as far as the physical aspects are concerned, although not sure about all the signage, comms and so on.

[Berk]

Meanwhile, don’t bother ordering a taxi to Bar Hill at night...

[c2R]

Here are some photos from the other day:

C167 Overbridge, Brampton









Former C167, Brampton



Conington Road Bridge

[Berk]

Very good pics. It looks like 3 years’ hard work is finally starting to pay off.

[Norfolktolancashire]

That is an interesting "part" S3 with dual no overtaking lines on that bridge

[roadtester]

That is an interesting "part" S3 with dual no overtaking lines on that bridge

I think one of the lanes - the one on the right - is supposed to be the apparently fairly generously dimensioned cycle track/lane. But agree that bit over the bridge looks odd if that’s what you were getting at!

Agree great pics by the way.

[Al__S]

Yeah, you're seeing a single white line plus kerb line there, not a second double white line!

[c2R]

That is an interesting "part" S3 with dual no overtaking lines on that bridge

I think one of the lanes - the one on the right - is supposed to be the apparently fairly generously dimensioned cycle track/lane. But agree that bit over the bridge looks odd if that’s what you were getting at!

Agree great pics by the way.

Cheers.

Yes, it is a kerb and a white line - it's not just the cycle track, it's a wider area only raised slightly from the road surface; I think given the proximity to the emergency accesses it is for HE traffic officers or perhaps police with speed guns to park on and then make their entrance onto the road.

The cycle lane itself is very generously proportioned as well, though - more so than the bridges that cross the A428 to the south.

[trickstat]

A couple of things I've noticed this week -

Gantries and other signage structures* are now visible on the 'new' A14 from the train just to the east of the ECML.

Driving south through steady drizzle on the new section of the A1 today, I was impressed by how little surface water there was.


*Not complete as no actual display yet.

[c2R]

You can just about make out a blue sign to the west of the A1198 on the westbound carriageway, although it's not a gantry sign - it's a largeish wordy one, but too far away to make out what it says. There are also blue ERA signs. But yes, no gantry signs yet.