A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

[c2R]

I really like the video - it does give a firm impression on what the scheme will look like.

I've also had some correspondence from HE to confirm junction names and numbers:


New Ellington Junction - J21
Brampton Interchange - J22
Ermine Street Junction - J23
Swavesey Junction - J24 (replaces and renames Trinity Foot which was J28)
Bar Hill - J25 (was: J29)
Girton - J26 (was: J31)
Histon - J27 (was: J32)
Milton - J28 (was: J33)
Fen Ditton remains numbered as J34 at this time.

[dcrc2]

First stretch of road in A14 scheme finished.

Having looked around the scheme less than two weeks ago, I'm unclear what section is supposed to be finished. It seems unlikely to be the whole of the new A1 west of the present A1 (even if you exclude the tie-ins at each end) because there's still a road embankment crossing it (or was 11 days ago) carrying the minor road to Grafham.

I was there today: what's happened is that they've moved the northbound offslip at Brampton Hut. It now diverges just after the Brampton-Grafham minor road bridge, then runs along the A1's future southbound carriageway, crosses to the future northbound carriageway just before passing under the newly-completed A14 bridge, and finally runs down what I assume is the eventual offslip to the roundabout. So that final section, just before the roundabout, could indeed be considered finished. And the parts of the future A1 that this temporary offslip uses are also largely complete, but of course they're not yet actually taking A1 traffic.

[si404]

renumbering junctions just seems so silly - at some point a few of the 20 junctions west of New Ellington will go in the name of safety, or the creation of an LAR (5, 6, 14, 17 and 19 are good candidates), and then there's the 28 east of Milton that need new numbers if you don't want a gap (which they clearly don't want between Swavesey and Bar Hill).

[Berk]

renumbering junctions just seems so silly - at some point a few of the 20 junctions west of New Ellington will go in the name of safety, or the creation of an LAR (5, 6, 14, 17 and 19 are good candidates), and then there's the 28 east of Milton that need new numbers if you don't want a gap (which they clearly don't want between Swavesey and Bar Hill).

So distance-based numbering could be useful then. For example, if ‘J45’ means you’re 45 k’s from the start, that will not change (much), even if the junction is resited.

[Berk]

First stretch of road in A14 scheme finished.

Having looked around the scheme less than two weeks ago, I'm unclear what section is supposed to be finished. It seems unlikely to be the whole of the new A1 west of the present A1 (even if you exclude the tie-ins at each end) because there's still a road embankment crossing it (or was 11 days ago) carrying the minor road to Grafham.

I was there today: what's happened is that they've moved the northbound offslip at Brampton Hut. It now diverges just after the Brampton-Grafham minor road bridge, then runs along the A1's future southbound carriageway, crosses to the future northbound carriageway just before passing under the newly-completed A14 bridge, and finally runs down what I assume is the eventual offslip to the roundabout. So that final section, just before the roundabout, could indeed be considered finished. And the parts of the future A1 that this temporary offslip uses are also largely complete, but of course they're not yet actually taking A1 traffic.

Hopefully it’ll come into use next spring.

[c2R]

So distance-based numbering could be useful then. For example, if ‘J45’ means you’re 45 k’s from the start, that will not change (much), even if the junction is resited.

In this case I agree with you, but only because by some fluke the length between New Ellington and Bar Hill is 22.5km whether you take the current route or the new route, meaning that Bar Hill would remain J100 - but the same wouldn't hold if the new route was shorter or longer...

[roadtester]

And now a manufactured row in the local rag - why aren't the contractors working on Sundays and bank holidays to shave a few months off the scheduled completion time?

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/c ... e-14252967

Such insight - these guys are geniuses. I'm sure the contractors and the DfT never thought of that one.

I'm sure the journalists at the Cambridge News and the unnamed drivers who are complaining are working seven days a week to save their employers' money and get their work done more quickly as well.

[darkcape]

And now a manufactured row in the local rag - why aren't the contractors working on Sundays and bank holidays to shave a few months off the scheduled completion time?

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/c ... e-14252967

Such insight - these guys are geniuses. I'm sure the contractors and the DfT never thought of that one.

No idea where they're getting their info from as weekends including Sundays are regularly being worked. There is a night shift somewhere on the project almost every night.

In highways construction you rarely include weekend working as part of the main construction programme - the client doesn't like it as they know they'll be paying more for weekends - the exception is unavoidable works such as major resurfacing, bridge beam lifts or demolitions etc.
Leaving the weekends free also gives you a chance to catch up on programme if you're delayed, such as through bad weather in the week.
Sometimes our weekend shifts consist of nothing more than going round tidying work areas, maintaining fencing and signage, removing rubbish, dewatering etc, because you're so busy you don't get a chance to do it in the week.

[jmbillings]

Ignore the Cambridge News - the only thing it's useful for involves the smallest room in the house

[trickstat]

And now a manufactured row in the local rag - why aren't the contractors working on Sundays and bank holidays to shave a few months off the scheduled completion time?

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/c ... e-14252967

Such insight - these guys are geniuses. I'm sure the contractors and the DfT never thought of that one.

I'm sure the journalists at the Cambridge News and the unnamed drivers who are complaining are working seven days a week to save their employers' money and get their work done more quickly as well.

Because what you really want when people are doing work, much of which is potentially dangerous, is for them to be working every single day with no breaks! I believe history is littered with examples of accidents where tiredness has been implicated or suspected as a major contributary factor.

[mark3evo]

Will the A14 ever return to normal NSL without the monotonous average speed cameras?

[c2R]

Will the A14 ever return to normal NSL without the monotonous average speed cameras?

Between Girton and Alconbury I see no reason why not... And perhaps between Milton and Girton too, although the closely spaced junctions here might count against that.

[Berk]

Will the A14 ever return to normal NSL without the monotonous average speed cameras?

Between Girton and Alconbury I see no reason why not... And perhaps between Milton and Girton too, although the closely spaced junctions here might count against that.

I think he was referring to the previous mini-widening scheme. Are more lanes being added as part of this scheme??

[jmbillings]

I thought that as some part of this work, they were adding an extra lane between Histon and Milton (much like they already did Girton<>Histon) - but wherever I read it, it was a final-phase job.

[c2R]

Will the A14 ever return to normal NSL without the monotonous average speed cameras?

Between Girton and Alconbury I see no reason why not... And perhaps between Milton and Girton too, although the closely spaced junctions here might count against that.

I think he was referring to the previous mini-widening scheme. Are more lanes being added as part of this scheme??

The changes to Girton should reduce the queueing westbound on the A14, which should reduce the danger of fast moving traffic hitting the back of the queue, which should improve the safety of the section. That's the argument for removing the cameras. However, improvements to the A428 as part of the Black Cat to Caxton Gibbett, the Oxford-Cambridge scheme, and traffic re-routing onto the A14 from other routes (such as the A1198) will increase traffic and potentially cause the Cambridge northern bypass section to become more congested in the longer run - so it's entirely possible the average speed cameras on that section will remain - but this is nothing more than speculation...

[Big Nick]

As of Friday the Trinity Foot pub was being demolished. A landmark gone, but it must have been empty for over 10 years, and sits in the way of the new D2-D3 junction.

I came past here on Saturday and was a bit puzzled by the odd looking concrete lamppost with a strange metal square and down pointing lights, surrounded by all manner of construction machinery. Then it occurred to me it was an old pub sign and with that, what was now missing.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.27365 ... 6656?hl=en

[B1040]

Nice time-lapse video of the removal of the Grafham Road bridge over the A1

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/l ... n-14328798

[Berk]

Can someone explain a little what’s going on with the A1 side of things - in terms of what has been built/completed so far, as I’m still very confused.

I drove past yesterday, and the ‘new A1’ looks nowhere near ready, although HE insist the southbound A1 will be ready ‘by Summer 2018’.

A new carriageway looks almost complete between Buckden and Brampton (running east of/parallel to the current A1). Could this, in fact, be the future eastbound A14 carriageway?? Once this is finished, presumably you could transfer the A1 southbound on to it, remove the current southbound arrangement, and replace/widen the existing southbound (which will be D3) (possibly as the future A14 westbound), which would then serve as a northbound A1 until the new northbound is ready??

My confusion is partly due to that partly completed carriageway, but only a mile or so further on, a new road is taking shape to the west which is presumably what will be the new A1, once it’s all completed.

Forgive my vagueness, but I’m not clear about how the scheme is being built and progressed. But it doesn’t seem like it’ll be ready by even 2019, more likely 2020 and the rest of the scheme.

[jackal]

The easternmost carriageway between Buckden and Brampton will indeed be the A14eb.

The scheme is scheduled to open in March 2021.

[dcrc2]

I drove past yesterday, and the ‘new A1’ looks nowhere near ready, although HE insist the southbound A1 will be ready ‘by Summer 2018’.

I believe that HE quote is referring to the section between Alconbury and Brampton Hut.

A new carriageway looks almost complete between Buckden and Brampton (running east of/parallel to the current A1). Could this, in fact, be the future eastbound A14 carriageway?

Hmm, there's nothing to the east of the current A1 between Buckden and Brampton, except for some temporary tracks for construction traffic. If you were looking at some almost-complete carriageway to the east of the current road, then you must have been between Brampton and Alconbury. That section will be just the new D3 A1, plus an access road to the west side - the A14 is not involved at that point as it has turned off to the west at Brampton.