A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

[Chris Bertram]

I sometimes wonder if it’d be better to suspend services to Welwyn North until the tunnel and viaduct are duplicated. Surely most of the problems are caused by needing to allow some trains to stop there.

Suspend services to a station with half a million annual passengers? Great idea!

Worth it for the comedy value...

Touché

[Alderpoint]

New sliproad towards Cambridge opens tomorrow:

A1307 Huntingdon Road inbound
As of tomorrow morning, once the A14 reopens after tonight’s closure, there will be a dedicated slip road AFTER the A14 eastbound turn off to take you into Cambridge on the A1307 Huntingdon Road.

It will take you down to the new roundabout and then you take a left into Cambridge. Unfortunable the section of LAR under the M11 will stay oneway northbound.

Sabristi question: what is the number the section of road between the A14 slip and the A1307 slip?

[nowster]

Sabristi question: what is the number the section of road between the A14 slip and the A1307 slip?

A604?

[medgoode]

It seems the new sliproad for the A1307 going into Cambridge will open tomorrow.

A1307 Huntingdon Road inbound

As of tomorrow morning, once the A14 reopens after tonight’s closure, there will be a dedicated slip road AFTER the A14 eastbound turn off to take you into Cambridge on the A1307 Huntingdon Road.

Please follow the signs and not your sat nav.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/A14C2H/photos/ ... 2872723127

They have an image of the following sign attached:

[ais523]

That "non-motorway traffic" warning on the sign confuses me. Non-motorway traffic gets to use the A14, too (if it can get to that point at all; it will be on the A14(M) once that upgrade happens). So why force it all into Cambridge?

The motorway symbol should arguably be used on the directions to the M11, too, but that's more debatable.

(Also, why is the sign green, not yellow? Because it isn't yet finalised that the A14 will become a motorway, and thus this could theoretically be a final sign?)

[Jeni]

(Also, why is the sign green, not yellow? Because it isn't yet finalised that the A14 will become a motorway, and thus this could theoretically be a final sign?)

I would say that until it is finalised they have to go on business as usual with plan A.

[jervi]

I would of thought that the final sign would be a "tiger tail sign" and not a "dedicated lane advance direction
sign". Lane Destination signs can be used on dual carriageways (or any road really), but normally when only 1 lane leaves the main carriageway, while tiger tail signs are used on dual carriageways and motorways that have *multiple* exit slips... such as this junction in question.

[medgoode]

That "non-motorway traffic" warning on the sign confuses me. Non-motorway traffic gets to use the A14, too (if it can get to that point at all; it will be on the A14(M) once that upgrade happens). So why force it all into Cambridge?

The motorway symbol should arguably be used on the directions to the M11, too, but that's more debatable.

(Also, why is the sign green, not yellow? Because it isn't yet finalised that the A14 will become a motorway, and thus this could theoretically be a final sign?)

One commenter made the same point about the lack of motorway symbol and also lack of aeroplane symbol by Stansted. It's also interesting that they shorten Camb when Cambridge fits above.

A note on whether the signs should be yellow. No other temporary direction signs on the A14 seem to be yellow.

[SouthWest Philip]

(Also, why is the sign green, not yellow? Because it isn't yet finalised that the A14 will become a motorway, and thus this could theoretically be a final sign?)

Regardless of the finished roads motorway status, or otherwise, this can't be the final sign because the road when complete will be four lanes. Presumably the final layout with be thus;
A14 A14 M11 & A1307 M11

[jervi]

Looking at that fly through video, which of-course isn't going to be the actual outcome in every aspect, says that
Lane 1: A14 (only)
Lane 2: A14 (after tiger tail), continues for A1307 (splits into two lanes after diverge)
Lane 3: M11 (only)
Lane 4: M11 (only)

[medgoode]

I've just seen on the Facebook page that the slip road didn't open last night due to "issues on site last night, including heavy rain."

[Stevie D]

That "non-motorway traffic" warning on the sign confuses me. Non-motorway traffic gets to use the A14, too (if it can get to that point at all; it will be on the A14(M) once that upgrade happens). So why force it all into Cambridge?

Presumably because non-motorway traffic wanting the A14 knows it can use the A14 as it's not a motorway, but it is directing non-motorway traffic wanting destinations reached by the motorway to go through Cambridge, which is probably the most sensible route for it.

[Bryn666]

That sign is terrible and no doubt going to be tiny on an A-frame like the other direction signs on there.

As a result you need to simplify the information or provide extra signs.

[DB617]

That "non-motorway traffic" warning on the sign confuses me. Non-motorway traffic gets to use the A14, too (if it can get to that point at all; it will be on the A14(M) once that upgrade happens). So why force it all into Cambridge?

Presumably because non-motorway traffic wanting the A14 knows it can use the A14 as it's not a motorway, but it is directing non-motorway traffic wanting destinations reached by the motorway to go through Cambridge, which is probably the most sensible route for it.

I took it to mean 'Traffic for Cambridge which is non-motorway and thus can't use the M11' but as we can see there is definitely some ambiguity here...

[roadtester]

I've just seen on the Facebook page that the slip road didn't open last night due to "issues on site last night, including heavy rain."

Local paper coverage here:

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/c ... d-16832379

[Berk]

What “torrential rain” was this?? We only had light showers in Peterborough.

Sounds like the opening’ll be delayed for weeks.

[roadtester]

What “torrential rain” was this?? We only had light showers in Peterborough.

Sounds like the opening’ll be delayed for weeks.

Yes, I'm fairly local and I'm not sure there was any rain at all here, let alone of the torrential variety. Maybe it was highly localised!

[Berk]

Reminds me of when I had my meter change cancelled one winter, due to “heavy snow” (barely a flake or two).

[trickstat]

What “torrential rain” was this?? We only had light showers in Peterborough.

Sounds like the opening’ll be delayed for weeks.

Yes, I'm fairly local and I'm not sure there was any rain at all here, let alone of the torrential variety. Maybe it was highly localised!

I was on a train home on Tuesday evening and went through quite a big storm between Huntingdon and St Neots. Maybe the rain from this delayed the final part of the works.

[doebag]

What “torrential rain” was this?? We only had light showers in Peterborough.

Sounds like the opening’ll be delayed for weeks.

Quite possibly, Tuesday evening our daughter in law drove though a heavy hail storm at Guyhirn but only light showers in Wisbech .

Yes, I'm fairly local and I'm not sure there was any rain at all here, let alone of the torrential variety. Maybe it was highly localised!