Sixty years of M1

[roadtester]

This milestone appears to have passed last week without a great deal of "anniversary journalism" but Autocar has this, based on its coverage at the time, which is pretty interesting:

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/indu ... t-motorway

[IAN]

"Last Friday was exactly 60 years since the opening of the first section of what would later become known as the M1"

I presume that the above statement from the article is an error since the road was always known as the M1 unless someone is about to make an amazing revelation!

Also, when did the junction names get replaced with junction numbers, IIRC The M6 Preston Bypass, M5 'Lydiate Ash' to Strensham' and the M50 opened solely with junction names?

The issue caused by a lack of information is also referred to in the article.

'Of course, in 1959, there were no sat navs, so a sharp memory was paramount if you didn’t want to miss your junction'

Ian (M5 Driver)

[Enceladus]

Happy 60th Birthday, M1!,

You have to hand it to the designers and builders of the original 72 mile section from Watford to Crick - it has withstood the ravages of time and a massive growth in traffic remarkably well. With the current widening works, will any of the original and distinctive 1959 bridges - the ones I saw driving it last July - survive?


And this marks my 1,000th post on SABRE!

[Berk]

I think we have definitely lost something now. Whether it’s the sky blue finger posts, the wonky ADS signs... bring it all back!!

I must say, the original Anderson signs look very much like Italian motorway signs (well, superstrade, really).

[darkcape]

Happy 60th Birthday, M1!,

You have to hand it to the designers and builders of the original 72 mile section from Watford to Crick - it has withstood the ravages of time and a massive growth in traffic remarkably well. With the current widening works, will any of the original and distinctive 1959 bridges - the ones I saw driving it last July - survive?


And this marks my 1,000th post on SABRE!

If you look closely at some of those bridges you'd want them replaced, trust me. Some are in an appalling state.

[Berk]

I’ve wondered about that too. Trouble is, as inevitable as it may be, we will also be losing some of our road heritage. You’ll literally just get a lump of concrete instead.

Is there a replacement programme in mind??

[Enceladus]

I’ve wondered about that too. Trouble is, as inevitable as it may be, we will also be losing some of our road heritage. You’ll literally just get a lump of concrete instead.

Is there a replacement programme in mind??

It would be great if the replacement bridges on the widened M1 were built to the same style as the originals. I mean, at this point, the M1 is pretty much a heritage/historic motorway.

I know there was some sort of tongue in cheek thread about it here a few years back, but might the M45, largely untouched by rebuilding, be actually designated a “heritage” motorway to be carefully preserved in its present state?

[Chris5156]

Is there a replacement programme in mind??

They'll have been designed with a 100 year lifespan, so unless there actually are structural problems I would expect them to stay for at least another 40 years, and longer if they're still sound.

[Bryn666]

Is there a replacement programme in mind??

They'll have been designed with a 100 year lifespan, so unless there actually are structural problems I would expect them to stay for at least another 40 years, and longer if they're still sound.

I suspect most of the defects are on parapets (many have been replaced) and where salt ingress has caused spalling on the edges.

With a proper maintenance regime they should survive for much longer. However Owen Williams Bridges elsewhere once life expired have had to be replaced. Fast.

[M4Simon]

Is there a replacement programme in mind??

They'll have been designed with a 100 year lifespan, so unless there actually are structural problems I would expect them to stay for at least another 40 years, and longer if they're still sound.

I suspect most of the defects are on parapets (many have been replaced) and where salt ingress has caused spalling on the edges.

With a proper maintenance regime they should survive for much longer. However Owen Williams Bridges elsewhere once life expired have had to be replaced. Fast.

When I worked on one of these bridges 25 years ago, the main maintenance issue was water getting into small cracks in the concrete, generally visible on the underside of the deck , causing the outer surface to blow away from the reinforcement. To fix you need to clean back to sound concrete and undertake a patch repair. Do it before the problem gets too big and the bridge will last longer than most of us reading this forum. They are very solid structures, overdesigned compared with more modern bridges.

Simon

[Berk]

I’m guessing this time of year affects bridges as much as road surfaces?? So much condensation around, and freezing temperatures at night followed by warming in the day.

[Glenn A]

Not far behind the M1 will be its spur to the A45, the M45, one of the quietest motorways in England. I'd imagine anyone driving from Coventry to London would have been delighted at the reduction in journey times and anyone with a powerful car would have found a relatively quiet M1 ideal to ton up.

[KeithW]

Not far behind the M1 will be its spur to the A45, the M45, one of the quietest motorways in England. I'd imagine anyone driving from Coventry to London would have been delighted at the reduction in journey times and anyone with a powerful car would have found a relatively quiet M1 ideal to ton up.

One of the reasons we have a 70mph NSL is because a driver for AC Cars was clocked at 185 mph on the M1. While the Minister of Transport didnt cite it as a reason it was something a portion the press used freely to support the idea.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/moto ... 1-motorway

The fastest car I ever saw on the M1 was a Jensen Interceptor on a quiet night in January when it went past me doing at least 100 mph with a police Rover 3.5 P6 about a mile behind trying to catch up. I was doing 80 in my Fiat 132 and it went past me as if I was standing still. It was over 30 miles before I spotted both cars on the hard shoulder.

PS thinking about it this was probably an SD1 not a P6B as this was the late 70's

[Ruperts Trooper]

Not far behind the M1 will be its spur to the A45, the M45, one of the quietest motorways in England. I'd imagine anyone driving from Coventry to London would have been delighted at the reduction in journey times and anyone with a powerful car would have found a relatively quiet M1 ideal to ton up.

One of the reasons we have a 70mph NSL is because a driver for AC Cars was clocked at 185 mph on the M1. While the Minister of Transport didnt cite it as a reason it was something a portion the press used freely to support the idea.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/moto ... 1-motorway

Often debunked https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/feat ... obra-coupe

The fastest I've done on the M1, or anywhere else, was red-lining and bouncing off the rev-limiter, in my Cavalier SRi down the slope from Jct 22 - 134mph indicated so 120+ in reality, sorry officer!

[Glenn A]

Not far behind the M1 will be its spur to the A45, the M45, one of the quietest motorways in England. I'd imagine anyone driving from Coventry to London would have been delighted at the reduction in journey times and anyone with a powerful car would have found a relatively quiet M1 ideal to ton up.

One of the reasons we have a 70mph NSL is because a driver for AC Cars was clocked at 185 mph on the M1. While the Minister of Transport didnt cite it as a reason it was something a portion the press used freely to support the idea.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/moto ... 1-motorway

The fastest car I ever saw on the M1 was a Jensen Interceptor on a quiet night in January when it went past me doing at least 100 mph with a police Rover 3.5 P6 about a mile behind trying to catch up. I was doing 80 in my Fiat 132 and it went past me as if I was standing still. It was over 30 miles before I spotted both cars on the hard shoulder.

PS thinking about it this was probably an SD1 not a P6B as this was the late 70's

The story about the AC is on AR Online's essay about Tom Frazer. Having a quiet D3M with no speed limits was a Godsend to ton up boys on motorbikes, owners of powerful cars and road racers before 1965. Also I'd imagine compared with the congested and often speed limited A5, the M1 slashed journey times for many motorists.

[Bryn666]

The M45 and M10 opened on the same day as the M1.

Likewise the speed limit was officially due to collisions in fog, the Bedfordshire section in particular was notorious for foggy weather and multiple fatalities continued well into the 1970s when lighting was installed.

I thought these things were relatively well known.

[Steven]

I'd imagine compared with the congested and often speed limited A5, the M1 slashed journey times for many motorists.

I can't see what might have lead you to that conclusion.

[Glenn A]

I'd imagine compared with the congested and often speed limited A5, the M1 slashed journey times for many motorists.

I can't see what might have lead you to that conclusion.

You had 72 miles of unrestricted road without the hassle of driving through villages at 30 mph, being stuck behind tractors and the like. If you had something like an Jaguar XK 120, the M1 must have been a paradise and even lesser cars would find the motorway a big time saver.