A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon "news"

[DB617]

Strange, though, that it was always designed to what I assume are overhead gantries with per lane AMI. The initial HE diagrams for full expressways suggested an MS1-like roadside AMI. I guess that's turned out to be more of a sketch and the reality has no fixed design or even consistent guidelines.

And on another note, I feel the overhead AMI are rather redundant since the Highway Code says that a limit over one lane applies to all and MS4 diagrams provide a decent idea of lane closures. I'm disappointed not to see the roadside markers being used here instead. Perhaps that's down to width and the roadsides will be applied to D2ALR.

[Chris5156]

And on another note, I feel the overhead AMI are rather redundant since the Highway Code says that a limit over one lane applies to all and MS4 diagrams provide a decent idea of lane closures. I'm disappointed not to see the roadside markers being used here instead. Perhaps that's down to width and the roadsides will be applied to D2ALR.

AMI over each lane reinforce the speed limit by displaying it several times, so it’s very obvious it applies to all lanes. They also make it clear when a lane is closed - a red X over a lane will have much better compliance than a series of arrows on a roadside MS4.

[roadtester]

A burst of coverage to mark the completion of the Great Ouse Viaduct:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-c ... e-47375011

https://www.huntspost.co.uk/lifestyle/h ... -1-5905545

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/c ... s-15883939

[Euan]

It is good to see that the bridge over the Great Ouse has been completed at this stage rather than towards the end of the project which would potentially result in a delay of the road's opening date. We saw what happened with the Don bridge on the AWPR.

[roadtester]

Looks like the consultation period regarding the change of status to motorway as now finished.

https://www.cambstimes.co.uk/news/hunti ... -1-5905900

[roadtester]

Local moaning about the impact of the works on daily life:

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/n ... e-15881720

[Berk]

Yes, I read that too, and couldn’t help having some sympathy.

They really are dragging out the A1 widening works. I’d be surprised if it was at all ready before this summer.

As in works complete, all lanes open, NSL resumes. Because it was supposed to be ‘finished’ last year.

But closures every single night must be a real pain.

[Euan]

It must be a bit of an inconvenience locally in Buckden, but it would surely be even worse to close the A1 during the day when there are more cars on the road. While the current situation is a bit less than ideal, it is probably the least disruptive arrangement.

[trickstat]

Local moaning about the impact of the works on daily life:

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/n ... e-15881720

Is there any reason why traffic is not diverted via the A14 and A1198 (former A14)? Would seem more sensible to me.

[B1018 A120 M11]

Because it would be completely overloaded? I know that's an official HE diversion sometimes, but if it was permanent, so would be the traffic jams at the Caxton Gibbet. The A1198 may once have *been* the A14, but there's no way it's any kind of replacement for the current A14... even in the latter's current horrible half-built-over condition between Fenstanton and Girton.

[KeithW]

In addition there has been a lot of recent development off the A1198 just south of Godmanchester which means new roundabouts , traffic lights, speed limits and local traffic. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.31002 ... 6656?hl=en

The usual diversion route when there is a problem on the existing A14 is via the A428 to Wyboston and that is bad enough.

[c2R]

It did surprise me that so much development has been completed there prior to the new A14. The little co-op is useful for passers by though.

[Euan]

Because it would be completely overloaded? I know that's an official HE diversion sometimes, but if it was permanent, so would be the traffic jams at the Caxton Gibbet. The A1198 may once have *been* the A14, but there's no way it's any kind of replacement for the current A14... even in the latter's current horrible half-built-over condition between Fenstanton and Girton.

Wouldn't the A1198's lack of suitability to take on the A1's or the current A14's traffic be the main reason why the road is *not* the A14 anymore? There is no way the S2 road would be at all suitable for carrying so much traffic, especially with the number of roundabouts along the road including a pair of recently built roundabouts as part of the new A14(M) construction.

[KeithW]

Because it would be completely overloaded? I know that's an official HE diversion sometimes, but if it was permanent, so would be the traffic jams at the Caxton Gibbet. The A1198 may once have *been* the A14, but there's no way it's any kind of replacement for the current A14... even in the latter's current horrible half-built-over condition between Fenstanton and Girton.

Wouldn't the A1198's lack of suitability to take on the A1's or the current A14's traffic be the main reason why the road is *not* the A14 anymore? There is no way the S2 road would be at all suitable for carrying so much traffic, especially with the number of roundabouts along the road including a pair of recently built roundabouts as part of the new A14(M) construction.

No its not the A14 anymore because a government official decided the A14 was the number he wanted to be used on the link road between Felixstowe and the M6. Oddly of course the bit from Huntingdon to Alconbury remained the A14 so we now have two A14's which diverge at Huntingdon

1) From Girton to Catthorpe
2) From the A14 at Huntingdon to to Alconbury

To make it even more absurd you have to TOTSO off the A14 at Huntingdon to take the A14 to Catthorpe because if you dont you will find yourself on the A14 to Alconbury.

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/ind ... 14/History

[Berk]

I’m not sure why there’s all this doubt about whether the A1 will be improved or not. I'm pretty sure it was scheduled to be included in RIS2.

[Euan]

Because it would be completely overloaded? I know that's an official HE diversion sometimes, but if it was permanent, so would be the traffic jams at the Caxton Gibbet. The A1198 may once have *been* the A14, but there's no way it's any kind of replacement for the current A14... even in the latter's current horrible half-built-over condition between Fenstanton and Girton.

Wouldn't the A1198's lack of suitability to take on the A1's or the current A14's traffic be the main reason why the road is *not* the A14 anymore? There is no way the S2 road would be at all suitable for carrying so much traffic, especially with the number of roundabouts along the road including a pair of recently built roundabouts as part of the new A14(M) construction.

No its not the A14 anymore because a government official decided the A14 was the number he wanted to be used on the link road between Felixstowe and the M6. Oddly of course the bit from Huntingdon to Alconbury remained the A14 so we now have two A14's which diverge at Huntingdon

1) From Girton to Catthorpe
2) From the A14 at Huntingdon to to Alconbury

To make it even more absurd you have to TOTSO off the A14 at Huntingdon to take the A14 to Catthorpe because if you dont you will find yourself on the A14 to Alconbury.

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/ind ... 14/History

As it was clear that the Felixstowe - M6 route was to be an arterial route through East Anglia entitled to a 2-digit number, one of the existing routes with such a number would have needed to give up their number and I reckon they may have seized the opportunity to downgrade the old A14 to the A1198 when they had the chance.

The A1198 might not necessarily be used by every vehicle from either the A1 or the A14 during a closure of one of the two, as we know many drivers have their own idea of a diversion to take. Or the other way around, the A1198 may be used as a diversion by some drivers when the official diversion is signed along a different road.

[Berk]

Of course, it should’ve been the A53, or A54 in the Staffordshire Moorlands. They’re only regionally important roads, and no more than 50-miles long; not important enough for a 2-digit number.

[ais523]

I can sympathise with taking the number of the zone which the road is most important for, rather than the most anti-clockwise zone (as is normally done).

The A14 starts in zone 5, but it's really a road for zone 1; it's the main road between East Anglia and everywhere to the west (which given East Anglia's location, is pretty much everywhere but London). On the other hand, it hardly impacts on zone 5; much of its traffic is either going up the A1 (in zones 1 or 6), or west onto the M6 (which is mostly in all-purpose zone 4). So although a number starting with 5 would be "technically correct", it looks very out of place compared to a number starting with 1. (Second choice would be a number starting with 4, analogously to the A47 and A45; the fact that the A14 starts in zone 5 is basically a coincidence based on the amount of the M6/A14 route that happens to be motorway-classified and the amount thtat happens to be all-purpose, whereas zone 4 is at least a plausible endpoint for a route that, if you look at the whole thing, is basically a route between the East and West of England.)

[darkcape]

Local moaning about the impact of the works on daily life:

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/n ... e-15881720

Is there any reason why traffic is not diverted via the A14 and A1198 (former A14)? Would seem more sensible to me.

Traffic *is* diverted via the A1198. On the A1 northbound this means leaving at St Neots which most traffic ignores and reaches Buckden where the road is then closed. Satnavs divert people via The Offords which results in it getting snarled up.

I have a bit of sympathy but weekend night-times are sometimes the only time we have to get in and do the works, imagine the chaos if it was shut during a week day.

[Micro The Maniac]

(Second choice would be a number starting with 4, analogously to the A47 and A45; the fact that the A14 starts in zone 5 is basically a coincidence based on the amount of the M6/A14 route that happens to be motorway-classified and the amount thtat happens to be all-purpose, whereas zone 4 is at least a plausible endpoint for a route that, if you look at the whole thing, is basically a route between the East and West of England.)

Also bear in mind that east of Cambridge, it *was* the A45