A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

[A9NWIL]

Has anyone else noticed that there seems to be a much smaller workforce deployed since the new bypass and Girton w/b loop opened in December?

Perhaps they have been diverted to work on taking the old road viaduct apart?

[mikehindsonevans]

Has anyone else noticed that there seems to be a much smaller workforce deployed since the new bypass and Girton w/b loop opened in December?

Nope. They were going at it hammer-and-tongs outside the Swavesey Travelodge at stupid o'clock on Friday morning, then later alongside the Crem at chucking-out time on Friday afternoon. Oh and SOMEBODY is putting up all those lovely fences which separate the eastbound carriageway from what is rapidly becoming the LAR on the north side of the new alignment.

[Nathan_A_RF]

Stumbled upon this whilst looking at a map of roads managed by Highways England. Seems this document was updated on 8th January, and includes the changes with the new Huntington Southern Bypass. But look, the A14(M) is marked! Was this on the previous map and carried over, or was this changed from the last version?

[c2R]

Stumbled upon this whilst looking at a map of roads managed by Highways England. Seems this document was updated on 8th January, and includes the changes with the new Huntington Southern Bypass. But look, the A14(M) is marked! Was this on the previous map and carried over, or was this changed from the last version?

Also interesting is that they've not managed to detrunk the old A14 bits to the north and west of Huntingdon yet...

[roadtester]

I suppose if we're not going to get the new A14(M), that's one less reason to take that designation off the old A14(M).

On the other hand, now it's detached from the A14, maybe it should be renamed as the A1(M) spur. Or something.

[Berk]

Erm.... (insert M74 gag ’ere)...

*whispers* It’s supposed to be the A1307.

[trickstat]

Erm.... (insert M74 gag ’ere)...

*whispers* It’s supposed to be the A1307.

IIRC the signs on the A1(M) southbound already say A1307.

[KeithW]

Stumbled upon this whilst looking at a map of roads managed by Highways England. Seems this document was updated on 8th January, and includes the changes with the new Huntington Southern Bypass. But look, the A14(M) is marked! Was this on the previous map and carried over, or was this changed from the last version?

That bit of road has been the A14(M) for many years, it was actually initially designated as A604(M). It exists because the A14 spur leads inescapably onto the A1(M)
https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/ind ... _Stukeley)

[Big Nick]

I finally drove this road for the first time this weekend. I'm impressed, but with a few doubts.

At the new join of the M11/A14 I do wish they'd finished the roadworks and lifted the 40mph limits. A smooth entry to a long awaited improvement would have been nice.

Coming back from the west A14 the road noise drops dramatically. It's practically silent compared with the old road surface.

The road signage leaves something to be desired. This is effectively a brand new route but as you approach J21 all you see is signs for turning off onto the A1 or going north or to Huntingdon. The overhead sign there is complicated.
It's only at the turnoff itself that you are told 'this road is the A14 going south to London on the M11'. Sure, people will get used to it but an early route confirmation sign would have been reassuring.

[KeithW]

I suppose if we're not going to get the new A14(M), that's one less reason to take that designation off the old A14(M).

On the other hand, now it's detached from the A14, maybe it should be renamed as the A1(M) spur. Or something.

It is officially named the A604(M) but shown as A14(M) on existing highway management maps. Now in theory it could be redesignated as A1(M) but given that it would never appears on a road sign there is no obvious reason to bother and somebody would have to through all the documents referring to it, amend them and send out new revisions. There are bigger issues than this on the A14 such as the section of road between J1 and Catthorpe which operates under motorway regulations.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.39358 ... 6656?hl=en

[c2R]

I suppose if we're not going to get the new A14(M), that's one less reason to take that designation off the old A14(M).

On the other hand, now it's detached from the A14, maybe it should be renamed as the A1(M) spur. Or something.

It is officially named the A604(M) but shown as A14(M) on existing highway management maps. Now in theory it could be redesignated as A1(M) but given that it would never appears on a road sign there is no obvious reason to bother and somebody would have to through all the documents referring to it, amend them and send out new revisions. There are bigger issues than this on the A14 such as the section of road between J1 and Catthorpe which operates under motorway regulations.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.39358 ... 6656?hl=en

The developement consent order redesignates it as A1(M) - see p113. There are also statutory instruments referring to it as A14(M) subsequent to the initial A604(M) instruments.

[someone]

The developement consent order redesignates it as A1(M) - see p113. There are also statutory instruments referring to it as A14(M) subsequent to the initial A604(M) instruments.

The 2016 development order does not redesignate it. In the classification of roads section that redesignates the northern section of the A14 as the A1307 it calls that spur "the existing A1(M) road." i.e. it already held that number.

There are no references at all to the A14(M) in the order, and the only other reference to the A1(M) is in relation to land being taken for improvement works to it. Again using it as the current designation of the spur leading onto the then A14.

There is no single authoritative database of road classifications. For those not used in a public facing capacity it seems clear that different authorities and divisions use whatever best suits their own needs and preferences in such situations.

Even despite the title of the The A604(M) Motorway (Alconbury to A1(M) Section) And Connecting Roads Scheme 1993 order, it did not include any statement to classify the road with that or any other designation.

Being a part of the A604 improvement project this was likely because it was the obvious reference to use, with no regard to it needing a formal classification. So it ended up that some departments see the A14 as continuing until it meets the mainline of A1(M). Others see it as a spur of the the A1(M), continuing until the end of the special road when it joins the A14 that began on the roundabouts with the B1043. And neither being wrong.

[KeithW]

Being a part of the A604 improvement project this was likely because it was the obvious reference to use, with no regard to it needing a formal classification. So it ended up that some departments see the A14 as continuing until it meets the mainline of A1(M). Others see it as a spur of the the A1(M), continuing until the end of the special road when it joins the A14 that began on the roundabouts with the B1043. And neither being wrong.

Well the odd thing is that between 1980 and 1996 that section of the road was the A14 which ran from Royston to Alconbury and had been so for many years as can be seen on the Sabre Maps historic layers and is of course in the wiki.
https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/ind ... Alconbury)

Before the A1 upgraded between Alconbury and Peterborough when the orders for the A1(M) improvement were being made I suspect the assumption was that the planned A1-M1 link road would become the A604 including the Alconbury Spur.

[Fenlander]

I suppose if we're not going to get the new A14(M), that's one less reason to take that designation off the old A14(M).

On the other hand, now it's detached from the A14, maybe it should be renamed as the A1(M) spur. Or something.

It is officially named the A604(M) but shown as A14(M) on existing highway management maps. Now in theory it could be redesignated as A1(M) but given that it would never appears on a road sign there is no obvious reason to bother and somebody would have to through all the documents referring to it, amend them and send out new revisions. There are bigger issues than this on the A14 such as the section of road between J1 and Catthorpe which operates under motorway regulations.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.39358 ... 6656?hl=en

The developement consent order redesignates it as A1(M) - see p113. There are also statutory instruments referring to it as A14(M) subsequent to the initial A604(M) instruments.

A road with more names than lanes?

[kiran_mk2]

West-bound off-slip at Bar Hill is opening on Friday evening and the final Oakington / Dry Drayton slip (w/b offslip) is permanently closing at the same time.

A lot of final tarmac has gone down in various places over the last week and it looks like a lot of the work is waiting on the new concrete central barrier being put in (Girton-Oakington, Girton, Histon-Milton). Probably doesn't help that they only seem to have one machine to do it with.

[solocle]

I suppose if we're not going to get the new A14(M), that's one less reason to take that designation off the old A14(M).

On the other hand, now it's detached from the A14, maybe it should be renamed as the A1(M) spur. Or something.

I mean, the M40/A40 Oxford junction - a section I've ridden on is the motorway spur. It's still designated M40, and it seems unusual to designate it as the A road instead. To have the A14(M) physically seperate from the A14 is most bizzare.

[ManomayLR]

Does the A14(M) even have DLS?

[Bryn666]

No but it has marker posts that appear to be in the 11x range, presumably leading up from the M11?

[Al__S]

the last slip road at Oakington has not just been closed, they ripped it completely over the weekend- A14 J30 is very much no more. Traffic now on new alignment between the Dry Drayton side roundabout and the bridge.

[medgoode]

Driving along the A14 Cambridge North bypass today I see they have erected the green signs at the Girton interchange at the point where the A14 W/B and A428 diverge. The A428 signs are also signed Prohibited Traffic.