Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects

[NICK 647063]

But I think the difference between Peterborough to Stamford compared to the M62 to Redhouse section are the traffic volumes, I find Peterborough to Stamford ok it flows fine but as mentioned does have accidents but it cannot be compared to the M62 to Redhouse section which has over double the traffic which is the main cause of accidents, it’s the sheer overload which leads to poor driving standards, people driving way too close, poor Junctions and pedestrians not to mention it’s a major link between motorway sections and people have been driving on motorways for miles only to suddenly end up on a 1960 dual Carriageway but still drive like it’s a motorway.

[Berk]

But all these factors (bar being between two motorways) apply to Peterborough-Stamford too.

If it was just a regional expressway, it’d probably be fine. But it has all the north-south traffic to cope with, plus the frequent junctions, accesses, reduced sightlines and so on.

It does remind me a lot of the ‘old A1’ (between Peterborough and Alconbury) before it was replaced. That being said, I’d hope it wasn’t converted, or dug up, just left as is and a new parallel motorway alongside.

[owen b]

The key difference, as NICK 647063 says, is the traffic volume. AADT (from the links on SABRE Maps) on the A1 between the A47 and Stamford is about 50,000 (2015 figures). AADT on the Doncaster bypass is about 80,000 (also 2015). In my experience that's the difference between a road which more or less copes and a road which is hopelessly overloaded. I'm not saying that Peterborough to Stamford doesn't need to be improved, clearly the junctions at Wittering and Carpenter's Lodge aren't satisfactory. But I think Darrington to Redhouse is a much higher priority.

[Glenn A]

The A1 between Peterborough and Stamford is just as bad (some would even say as far as Grantham); there are accidents nearly every single day, sometimes major.

And yet there are no plans in the pipeline.

Also you don't have the alternative of the M1 to get to London, the A1 is the only realistic route. This should be improved to D3M as the road is typical 1960s A1 D2.

[Norfolktolancashire]

The A1 between Darrington and the A1(M) is just a dangerous road to drive along. The lack of any nearby roads for local traffic to use and that awful junction near the A1(M) means that (very) slow moving traffic joins what is a 70mph D2 full of lorries and long distance traffic.

I drove along it both ways a few weeks ago for the first time in months and saw two near misses at the junctions with traffic trying to enter the road.

I hate to say it, but until a new road is built, the road should be 50mph to allow a bit more chance of traffic to join it!

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.58777 ... 312!8i6656

[jervi]

I drove along it both ways a few weeks ago for the first time in months and saw two near misses at the junctions with traffic trying to enter the road.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.58777 ... 312!8i6656

Yeah, that's one of the worst bits tbh. I've seen quite a few cars get to the end of the slip road and wanting to join while other cars are heading along the slip road.

[TheKeymeister]

In my (unqualified) opinion, the A1 desperately needs making D3M between the M18 junction and Darrington as soon as possible. The A1(M) south of the M18 isn't too bad, and the A1 between Blyth and Peterborough might get by if the rest of the gaps were closed, bigger junctions improved a bit, and the smaller junctions stitched into the local network somehow and removed from the A1. It's not exactly a problematic bit, but I do wonder why the North Muskham junction is still there when the South Muskham one is surely sufficient to serve both. A bit of local road stitching with that sort of thing in mind and it'd probably be a lot better, and in all honesty we probably won't get much else any time soon.

[Berk]

I drove along it both ways a few weeks ago for the first time in months and saw two near misses at the junctions with traffic trying to enter the road.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.58777 ... 312!8i6656

Yeah, that's one of the worst bits tbh. I've seen quite a few cars get to the end of the slip road and wanting to join while other cars are heading along the slip road.

If you’re joining a major road, you have to floor it (safely/carefully, of course). A lot of drivers either can’t, or won’t.

If lane 2 is free, and it’s safer, I’ll just join that instead, move straight over. Let the others limp along in lane 1.

[85CF380]

If you’re joining a major road, you have to floor it (safely/carefully, of course). A lot of drivers either can’t, or won’t.

If lane 2 is free, and it’s safer, I’ll just join that instead, move straight over. Let the others limp along in lane 1.

That's not easy to do when you're 16.5 metres long, weighing 30 - 44 tonnes, accessing the northbound A1 at Barnsdale from the nearby industrial estates.

[Berk]

Maybe I should’ve said if you’re driving a car...

[jackal]

The RIS2 schemes are apparently to be announced on Saturday 2 November.

https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/ne ... 1-10039331

Perhaps this delayed due to the election?

[Berk]

Very likely. Maybe it’ll come out shortly after Budget Day (whenever that is).

[Glenn A]

Very likely. Maybe it’ll come out shortly after Budget Day (whenever that is).

I wonder in the unlikely event of Jeremy Corbyn being elected, what will happen with road schemes as he is far more in favour of public transport. I

[A9Dan]

Given Labour's commitment to net zero by 2030 (the 2045 target in Scotland was reported to be the most ambitious in the world and has created some uncertainty over the future of the A9 and A96 dualling schemes) I would be quite surprised if anything not already under construction gets built.

[KeithW]

I wonder in the unlikely event of Jeremy Corbyn being elected, what will happen with road schemes as he is far more in favour of public transport. I

For the most part they simply would not be built. He has already committed much of his budget to his pet project of nationalising the Royal Mail, rail-operating companies and rolling stock, the energy supply networks and water and sewerage companies. To add to that he is talking about cutting rail fares by 30% which would also cost a bundle.

[Glenn A]

Given Labour's commitment to net zero by 2030 (the 2045 target in Scotland was reported to be the most ambitious in the world and has created some uncertainty over the future of the A9 and A96 dualling schemes) I would be quite surprised if anything not already under construction gets built.

So this would mean we'd probably have to endure such glaring anomalies in the road network as S2 sections of the A1 in Northumberland and the abysmal D2 A1 in West Yorkshire. At least the Old Labour governments were enthusiastic road builders.

[KeithW]

So this would mean we'd probably have to endure such glaring anomalies in the road network as S2 sections of the A1 in Northumberland and the abysmal D2 A1 in West Yorkshire. At least the Old Labour governments were enthusiastic road builders.

Barbara Castle was not that enthusiastic as I recall. She caused quite a ruckus on a trip to the USA when she advised New York's Transport Commissioner to adopt a policy based around public transport, describing plans for more roads as "self-defeating". However she also endorsed the closure of over 2000 miles of railway and authorised the building of the Humber Bridge which would seem rather contradictory.

As for the A1 in Northumberland given that north of Alnwick its has an AADF of under 10k dualling would be hard to justify.

[Glenn A]

So this would mean we'd probably have to endure such glaring anomalies in the road network as S2 sections of the A1 in Northumberland and the abysmal D2 A1 in West Yorkshire. At least the Old Labour governments were enthusiastic road builders.

Barbara Castle was not that enthusiastic as I recall. She caused quite a ruckus on a trip to the USA when she advised New York's Transport Commissioner to adopt a policy based around public transport, describing plans for more roads as "self-defeating". However she also endorsed the closure of over 2000 miles of railway and authorised the building of the Humber Bridge which would seem rather contradictory.

As for the A1 in Northumberland given that north of Alnwick its has an AADF of under 10k dualling would be hard to justify.

I was thinking Morpeth to Alnwick, which would close a big gap on the A1.

[jackal]

"New Highways England investment strategy date now uncertain"

https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/civi ... 7-11-2019/

[jervi]

"New Highways England investment strategy date now uncertain"

https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/civi ... 7-11-2019/

I'd hope for it to be published before the end of the year. But with the general election likely being held in December and all this Brexit stuff going on, I don't think it is too promising.