A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

[Fenlander]

The new signs approaching Brampton Hut from the A14 heading eastbound are definitely something to behold. Lots and lots of clutter and brackets, and A1 (North) and A1(S) used on the same line, with really odd spacing...

Maybe the odd spacing is so they can stick an "M" in brackets afterwards

[trickstat]

Realistically if you were on the A14 westbound and wanted to head south down the A1…

Sorry, I was not clear. I meant travel between the western part of the A14 and the southern part of the A1. i.e. A14 eastbound onto the A1 southbound, or A1 northbound onto the A14 westbound.

As you say, for most traffic the A428 cuts the corner between the southern part of the A1 and the eastern part of the A14, similarly the A605 does the same between the northern part of the A1 and the western part of the A14.

The new road provides grade separation for the eastern side of A14 onto the northern part of the A1, so I was referring to the only movement without such an obvious route. Unless you deem the B645 a suitable option, the route from the southern part of the A1 onto the western side of the A14 means going through both Brampton Hut and the new Ellington junction.

Because of that I assume the traffic flows must be fairly low. Otherwise braiding the A14 around the A1 for the parallel section would have allowed Catthorpe style grade separation for both directions with the same number of bridges, though it would obviously need a little more land.

I think the traffic flows are fairly low, but A1 - A14 would form part of my preferred route if I wanted or needed to go to somewhere like Corby or Kettering.

[KeithW]

Realistically if you were on the A14 westbound and wanted to head south down the A1…

Sorry, I was not clear. I meant travel between the western part of the A14 and the southern part of the A1. i.e. A14 eastbound onto the A1 southbound, or A1 northbound onto the A14 westbound.

As you say, for most traffic the A428 cuts the corner between the southern part of the A1 and the eastern part of the A14, similarly the A605 does the same between the northern part of the A1 and the western part of the A14.

The new road provides grade separation for the eastern side of A14 onto the northern part of the A1, so I was referring to the only movement without such an obvious route. Unless you deem the B645 a suitable option, the route from the southern part of the A1 onto the western side of the A14 means going through both Brampton Hut and the new Ellington junction.

Because of that I assume the traffic flows must be fairly low. Otherwise braiding the A14 around the A1 for the parallel section would have allowed Catthorpe style grade separation for both directions with the same number of bridges, though it would obviously need a little more land.

The existing A14 junction is just a roundabout under the flyover. As it happens on my regular route back home from our head office at Harwell involved heading south on the A1 from that junction but the amount of traffic taking that route was minimal. There was more heading north up the A1 towards Peterborough and the North but the predominant flow was straight across for the A14.

Most traffic originating on the M6 west of Catthorpe heading for London via the A1 would probably either take the M1 down to J8 and then take the A414 North Orbital across to the A1(M) at Hatfield or carry on down to the M25

As for B645 (the old A45) its an odd route taking you through Kimbolton which is the last place you want to send an HGV. However when I was travelling at peak time that was my favoured route as traffic on the A14 could tail back miles from Brampton while the B645 had a GSJ with the A1 at St Neots.

The bottom line is that providing freeflow routes from the A14 eastbound to the A1 southbound would be very expensive way of handling a small volume of traffic.

[B1040]

A14 Thrapston to A1S towards St. Neots is easy, you pull off and use the old Brampton Hut roundabout

[c2R]

You mean HE still can't find anyone capable of doing sign design?

Time the big consultants were stripped of this responsibility as they think the new starter can do it and that it isn't important.

Oh, it's a cluttered horrible mess There wasn't any way in the dark and rain that I could find anywhere to stop and take a photo of it for you, but, er, yeah... eugh....

[TomJ]

There's a new post on the A14C2H Facebook, showing a diagram which is identical to the one shown in this leaflet. The leaflet has a reference to 'variable mandatory speed limits' - presumably this means that the legislation for the VSL is now all put in place?

[Ruperts Trooper]

Setting roads to closed is great for connected sat navs and phone apps (perhaps with the exception of Apple Maps), showing up pretty much a day later in my experience while actual changes take months, so that should do the trick. For anyone using a modern system of course. Until recently my company used 'dumb' sat navs that had to be put on a computer to update, so most were never done. Might cause some weird diversions for people following satnav to Huntingdon, though.

Many of the in-car satnavs are infrequently updated, or never at all, in many cases where the car maker's fee is extortionate to update although those with traffic information would presumably reroute if the sensors show closed.

[DB617]

Setting roads to closed is great for connected sat navs and phone apps (perhaps with the exception of Apple Maps), showing up pretty much a day later in my experience while actual changes take months, so that should do the trick. For anyone using a modern system of course. Until recently my company used 'dumb' sat navs that had to be put on a computer to update, so most were never done. Might cause some weird diversions for people following satnav to Huntingdon, though.

Many of the in-car satnavs are infrequently updated, or never at all, in many cases where the car maker's fee is extortionate to update although those with traffic information would presumably reroute if the sensors show closed.

That's what I'm getting at. TMC (or whatever it's called - Honda appeared to call it that c.2013) usually responds well to closure and accident data. Google Maps and Waze definitely does. My connected professional TomTom does as well. Annoyingly, thanks to the closure data being almost a month sooner than the soonest possible map update, my TomTom is showing the new road as unavailable for routing, which is really irritating as like most new roads, it's currently the best route. On the other hand, old windscreen units and built in satnavs (my Dad's Civic XE would have cost £200 from the dealership for a one use update disk) are a total waste of time. You can't trust anything they tell you because of how much the roads can change after a few years. There's a lot to be said for modern luxury cars like Teslas having permanent internet connectivity as part of package. Minus points to BMW etc for charging subscription fees to keep your internal computer and map updated.

[roadtester]

There's a new post on the A14C2H Facebook, showing a diagram which is identical to the one shown in this leaflet. The leaflet has a reference to 'variable mandatory speed limits' - presumably this means that the legislation for the VSL is now all put in place?

Interesting. Thanks.

I’m slightly alarmed that after we had the whole will-it-be-a-motorway-or-not uncertainty, the road will open initially with only some of the planned restrictions on types of traffic in place, sowing further confusion.

[someone]

The leaflet has a reference to 'variable mandatory speed limits' - presumably this means that the legislation for the VSL is now all put in place?

It has not, at least as far as I can see, and to quote the front page of the leaflet: "We are in the process of applying for the… use of variable mandatory speed limits."

The leaflet also makes clear that learners will be allowed to use the A14(A) even after all restrictions have been approved. So not entirely a motorway with green signs after all.

[TomJ]

It has not, at least as far as I can see, and to quote the front page of the leaflet: "We are in the process of applying for the… use of variable mandatory speed limits."

The leaflet also makes clear that learners will be allowed to use the A14(A) even after all restrictions have been approved. So not entirely a motorway with green signs after all.

Ah, my bad. Completely misread that then.

[ManomayLR]

It will be a way for learners to practice driving on smart motorways without having an instructor or dual control car.

[Al__S]

Whilst leaving Bar Hill at 5pm is now a breeze, the new temporary layouts (as of last week) are bad at Dry Drayton. The east facing sliproads are still in place, but traffic leaving the A14 at the junction is forced over the bridge. So you've got three streams all going over the bridge: Traffic off the A14, traffic from Dry Drayton, and traffic from Cambridge on the A1307. Furthermore, that exiting traffic includes everything for Bar Hill and Longstanton from the east.

That gets over the A14 and meets traffic from Oakington going on to the A14, which has priority. They tried giving the traffic from the bridge priority but with it built like a roundabout, a lot of drivers "didn't notice" the big giveway sign and markings.

The plan had been to send the Oakington-A14 traffic up to Bar Hill, but I think they've realised that solves nothing and are waiting until the A1307 in bound to Cambridge opens.

I'm sure the final layout will be good, but right now it's a mess and it didn't sort itself out in a week like with previous changes.

[ManomayLR]

The offline tends to happen much faster than the online, perhaps because of the fact that the carriageway is completely clear for works to go ahead at full speed. But with online they have to deal with live traffic on the carriageway which slows the upgrades down greatly.

[Moore_O]

It will be a way for learners to practice driving on smart motorways without having an instructor or dual control car.

That's fun - because when I learned to drive, the section between Bar Hill and Cambridge was the only place for a learner to practice driving on a three-lane dual carriageway: as close to an actual motorway as made little difference.

[KeithW]

It will be a way for learners to practice driving on smart motorways without having an instructor or dual control car.

That's fun - because when I learned to drive, the section between Bar Hill and Cambridge was the only place for a learner to practice driving on a three-lane dual carriageway: as close to an actual motorway as made little difference.

How about this section of the Newmarket bypass
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.10564 ... authuser=0

[KeithW]

It will be a way for learners to practice driving on smart motorways without having an instructor or dual control car.

We have had a D3/D4/D5 dual carriageway with a very nice set of GSJ's since the 1970's
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.55346 ... authuser=0

Not to mention this cracking fully grade separated junction between two Strategic HQDC roads along with a D3 bridge that crosses the first railway in the world and the River Tees. Proper road building that is
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.56372 ... authuser=0

[roadtester]

It will be a way for learners to practice driving on smart motorways without having an instructor or dual control car.

We have had a D3/D4/D5 dual carriageway with a very nice set of GSJ's since the 1970's
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.55346 ... authuser=0

Not to mention this cracking fully grade separated junction between two Strategic HQDC roads along with a D3 bridge that crosses the first railway in the world and the River Tees. Proper road building that is
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.56372 ... authuser=0

Also, much closer to Cambridge, we have the modern D3 Newmarket bypass.

[ManomayLR]

What about the A2 between the A282 and Medway?

[Al__S]

Changes from Monday: Bar Hill east bound off ramp opens, the Oakington on ramp shuts and lane gain from that gets shifted to the Bar Hill east bound on ramp (which will be a lain gain in the final layout, as the D3 becomes D4 here- for now it'll still be D2 becoming D3). That means the east bound traffic between Swavesey & Bar Hill will now not at all be using the old east bound carriageway, so that's clear for it's rebuilding as the LAR/A1307.

It will mean though that traffic from Oakington/Dry Drayton will now be sent to Bar Hill if it's headed for the A14E or M11S (as per final layout).

Seems to now e confirmed that Bar Hill westbound off ramp is to open January 2020

Towers now in place for Bar Hill NMU bridge, deck being prepared for lift in.

(oh look, actual A14 C2H news)