A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

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Big L
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by Big L »

roadtester wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 21:31 Cambridgeshire County Council reports on some of the small local improvement works being generated via the A14 Community Fund. All very worthwhile, I'm sure but none of them look very exciting:

https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/news/ ... -projects/
Couldn't they find an image of a British roadworks sign?
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by dcrc2 »

darkcape wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 22:21They are currently building a new northbound on-slip to the south-west of the existing bridge, starting from where the bus stop used to be (so yes if coming from longstanton you will u-turn at the South roundabout to go north).
That's interesting - this on-slip has already been moved once, pushing it closer up against the off-slip and tightening the curve so that it joins the A14 earlier than it used to. Was there something which delayed the construction that they're doing now, which meant that they had to come up with this short-term version that is there at the moment?
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by c2R »

Here we go - so the motorway signs indicate the 'fast' internal routes around the site, with 25mph speed limits:

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Here's a few more photos:

This is an accommodation bridge behind Brampton Hut services - this will carry the main line of the A14

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ECML Bridge from the B1043

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B1043 overbridge under consruction

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C167 Overbridge

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A closeup of the bridge

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The C167/A1 former junction
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New A1 carriageway, looking north. These carriageways appear massive because of the merge point here
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The old and new carriageways side by side, again looking north

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View south from the overbridge towards Brampton Interchange - old A1 side

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View west across the overbridge

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Brampton site compound
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View south from the overbridge to Brampton Interchange - new A1 side
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Another view south
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by DJ Mike »

darkcape wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 22:21 They are currently building a new northbound on-slip to the south-west of the existing bridge, starting from where the bus stop used to be (so yes if coming from longstanton you will u-turn at the South roundabout to go north). The existing NB on-slip will be shut to allow the South abutments of the new roundabout bridges to be built. The first to open will be the south-east bridge, as the West is too close to the existing bridge which needs to be demolished. Then the SB on-slip will be built, temporary SB on-slip shut and new SB offslip built.
Ah that's interesting - thanks for the insights! I did wonder what was going on just by that bus stop on the bridge - figured it was just them building an access point for the works. The sooner they complete the 'new' northbound slip, the better. The temporary, shortened one they introduced further up from the original is just ghastly! (Surprising, when you consider the Longstanton side slip roads were an improvement).

And agree - you can see from the north side installations that the west bridge is far too close to the old one. I'd guessed they would install the new East bridge, realign both sides to attach to it, then get on with demolishing the old one / putting up the West bridge. So I guess at some point the temporary Longstanton side roundabout will get a retooling (as will the Bar Hill roundabout... though I struggle to picture in my head how that's going to look).

If they put the SB bridge in, how will they build the SB off-slip with the existing one still there, or can they make do with having both until they are ready to re-align SB traffic into Bar Hill onto the new bridge?
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by darkcape »

I wasn't aware the northbound on-slip had been realigned, and it's something that wasn't on the cards when I was working on that section. As the new South bridge abutments are in the on slip auxiliary lane I assume this is why the slip road has been tweaked, to allow them to push program.

The permanent slip roads are on large reinforced earth embankment but I think the temporary southbound slips are far enough away these can be built. There was also talk of realigning the southbound mainline carriageway onto the LAR once the B1050 bridge over the LAR is complete, this may also allow the permanent SB slips to go in.

The motorway symbol and 25mph sections are for the all-terrain dumpers only. Due to the volume of muck to be shifted the dumpers have to run at 25mph to get it all moved, but that means having segregated routes. The rest of the site is about 10mph.
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by havaska_uk »

Out of interest, is the widened section of A1 destined to be motorway or is that staying green?
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by Bryn666 »

havaska_uk wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 14:28 Out of interest, is the widened section of A1 destined to be motorway or is that staying green?
Staying green I think, although logic would have said to take the A1(M) down from Alconbury to Brampton.
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by wrinkly »

havaska_uk wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 14:28 Out of interest, is the widened section of A1 destined to be motorway or is that staying green?
Somewhat bafflingly it will not be a motorway nor have hard shoulders, despite being adjacent to the existing D4M motorway section.
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by trickstat »

wrinkly wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 14:34
havaska_uk wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 14:28 Out of interest, is the widened section of A1 destined to be motorway or is that staying green?
Somewhat bafflingly it will not be a motorway nor have hard shoulders, despite being adjacent to the existing D4M motorway section.
I wonder if this is because, if you are travelling southbound, you would be going straight from motorway to the Buckden section with a 50 limit shortly followed by a roundabout? The other places I can think of where the A1(M) reverts back to A1 there is not quite such as dramatic a change in the speed limit and the nature of the road.
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by thatapanydude »

trickstat wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 20:23 I wonder if this is because, if you are travelling southbound, you would be going straight from motorway to the Buckden section with a 50 limit shortly followed by a roundabout? The other places I can think of where the A1(M) reverts back to A1 there is not quite such as dramatic a change in the speed limit and the nature of the road.
That's what HE may want us to believe but it's all about keeping costs down. Considering HE are going to the length of providing a LAR, it surely wouldn't have been that much more to include a HS, even if it wasn't made a motorway straight away.

Anyway it looks like this part of the A1 won't be upgraded to a motorway anytime soon considering the recent poor CBA for the section down towards Baldock, so this pragmatic approach fits the bill currently.
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by roadtester »

More complaints from people affected by noise from diverted lorries:

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/c ... e-14930651
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by DJ Mike »

Jonathan Tracey's latest flyover of Girton Interchange is fascinating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_EJ2MBEJZ8

Hadn't realised, but it looks like they have pretty much finished realigning the A428 towards Cambridge to go under the new bridge! I assume that will then unlock getting on with the earthworks to raise up the A14 towards the as yet unconnected side.
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by dcrc2 »

DJ Mike wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 15:08 Jonathan Tracey's latest flyover of Girton Interchange is fascinating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_EJ2MBEJZ8

Hadn't realised, but it looks like they have pretty much finished realigning the A428 towards Cambridge to go under the new bridge! I assume that will then unlock getting on with the earthworks to raise up the A14 towards the as yet unconnected side.
This opened last night - the A428 now goes under that bridge. Currently there's one lane in each direction going under the bridge, even though when the scheme is complete it will only be for the eastbound direction.
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by roadtester »

The Hunts Post has some good aerial photos showing progress on the scheme:

http://www.huntspost.co.uk/motoring/a14 ... -1-5637228
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by roadtester »

A new report in one of the local rags on residents' ire caused by rat-running associated with the A14 diversions. A "senior traffic officer admits A14 diversions plans are ‘in chaos’":

http://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/n ... -1-5647928
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by KeithW »

That report also says the current plan is to revert the A428 to a single lane where it leaves the A14. With plans in place to extend the D2 section of the A428 to the A421. This is extremely short sighted. Before Girton was remodelled to give the A428 2 lanes that lane drop caused long queues to form back along the A14.
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by KeithW »

That report also says the current plan is to revert the A428 to a single lane where it leaves the A14. With plans in place to extend the D2 section of the A428 to the A421. This is extremely short sighted. Before Girton was remodelled to give the A428 2 lanes that lane drop caused long queues to form back along the A14.
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by c2R »

I presume the plan is to restrict the width with paint on the road, and then see what happens if the Oxford to Cambridge expressway ever happens...
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by DJ Mike »

KeithW wrote: Sun Aug 12, 2018 14:48 That report also says the current plan is to revert the A428 to a single lane where it leaves the A14. With plans in place to extend the D2 section of the A428 to the A421. This is extremely short sighted. Before Girton was remodelled to give the A428 2 lanes that lane drop caused long queues to form back along the A14.
AFAIK that is only happening Eastbound. Westbound will still be a two-lane departure, albeit it will become the new split to the left (where the A14 itself currently splits off), while the new A14 will continue on and up over the new bridge.

Reducing Eastbound A428 traffic to 1 lane as it merges with the A14 also seems sensible to me. If you are fixing the A14 so that it is the dominant road, thus bolstering its status as the main strategic route, then it should have at least two dedicated lanes, with other traffic being prioritised around it accordingly. The fact that you've had the A14 file down to a single lane westbound at Girton, while the A428 and M11 are already dominating that stretch beforehand, is exactly why the A14 has backed up so much in the past around there.

EDIT: Although now I look at drawing 21 here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... _P0_21.pdf

It does look as though Westbound will also be a single lane departure, not two. That could get interesting! That said, it quickly becomes two lanes again, and given the prevalence of traffic using the A14, I suspect will be the lesser of two evils there. Still, you do wonder if they couldn't squeeze a second lane in sooner there.
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Re: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

Post by Berk »

Why couldn’t the junction have been widened sufficiently?? Or is this going to be another Catthorpe, wait 20+ years, spend another £200m+ to sort it out??
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