A43 (M1 to M40) dates of upgrade to continuous dual carriageway

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Re: A43 (M1 to M40) dates of upgrade to continuous dual carriageway

Post by Chris5156 »

Was92now625 wrote: Mon Oct 18, 2021 21:02Many roundabouts on that route - something like a dozen over a few clumps along the way between M1 and M40. When planning those sections, was much thought given to whether so many circles were desirable ?
A variety of reasons, not least of them being that it wasn’t planned as a single route between M1 and M40 but rather as a series of localised improvements that happened over a period of many years.

The final push to join up all the dots and make a continuous dual carriageway was in the very early 2000s at a time when money for trunk road improvements was thin on the ground and, I believe, at least partly driven by a need to improve connections to Silverstone to prevent the UK losing its Formula 1 Grand Prix. As a result the dualling scheme that concluded in 2002 was likely to have followed the easiest method to provide a dual carriageway as cheaply and as quickly as possible.
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Re: A43 (M1 to M40) dates of upgrade to continuous dual carriageway

Post by danfw194 »

Alderpoint wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 22:18 No, i've not seen any recent plans, hence my comment. The signs on the Binley Road junction are saying completion mid 2022 (I'm back going through there now a few times a week), so I would have expected to see plans for the Walsgrave junction by now if they are really going to move onto it straight away.
Other than making it a LILO, which will miss out key movements, I'm struggling to envisage what they can do with the (lack of) space available. I hope I'm wrong, but I can foresee the can being kicked down the road with it and the roundabout staying as is.
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Re: A43 (M1 to M40) dates of upgrade to continuous dual carriageway

Post by Leaferclove »

Chris5156 wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:16 The final push to join up all the dots and make a continuous dual carriageway was in the very early 2000s at a time when money for trunk road improvements was thin on the ground and, I believe, at least partly driven by a need to improve connections to Silverstone to prevent the UK losing its Formula 1 Grand Prix. As a result the dualling scheme that concluded in 2002 was likely to have followed the easiest method to provide a dual carriageway as cheaply and as quickly as possible.
I believe Bernie Ecclestone, the old head honcho of F1, put up a chunk of the funds to get the final sections of dualling done once he realised that Brands Hatch wasn't a viable alternative for the Grand Prix and Silverstone was the only horse in the race. He gave Silverstone a lot of harsh treatment in the press over the years but when it really mattered the work got done.
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Re: A43 (M1 to M40) dates of upgrade to continuous dual carriageway

Post by ForestChav »

Leaferclove wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 21:44
Chris5156 wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:16 The final push to join up all the dots and make a continuous dual carriageway was in the very early 2000s at a time when money for trunk road improvements was thin on the ground and, I believe, at least partly driven by a need to improve connections to Silverstone to prevent the UK losing its Formula 1 Grand Prix. As a result the dualling scheme that concluded in 2002 was likely to have followed the easiest method to provide a dual carriageway as cheaply and as quickly as possible.
I believe Bernie Ecclestone, the old head honcho of F1, put up a chunk of the funds to get the final sections of dualling done once he realised that Brands Hatch wasn't a viable alternative for the Grand Prix and Silverstone was the only horse in the race. He gave Silverstone a lot of harsh treatment in the press over the years but when it really mattered the work got done.
I don't really follow F1, but surely Donington Park, being a stone's throw from an international airport and where the M1 meets the A42 and A50, would already have satisfied the transport links needed for Silverstone at that stage?
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Re: A43 (M1 to M40) dates of upgrade to continuous dual carriageway

Post by Leaferclove »

ForestChav wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 21:46 I don't really follow F1, but surely Donington Park, being a stone's throw from an international airport and where the M1 meets the A42 and A50, would already have satisfied the transport links needed for Silverstone at that stage?
Around that time the-then owners of Brands Hatch had made a big push to host the British GP, which ultimately came to nothing.

You're right about Donington's location, but the circuit itself relies heavily on the A453 and Melbourne Road which get absolutely jammed on any significant race day. But since MotoGP moved to Silverstone and World Superbikes' fall in popularity, they don't really host anything significant any more. I remember trying to get out of there on World Superbike/MotoGP race weekends in the early 2000s and it taking hours - and that was on a bike. The complaints in the following week's issue of MCN after each race used to appear like clockwork. F1 would have absolutely crippled the place.
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Re: A43 (M1 to M40) dates of upgrade to continuous dual carriageway

Post by ForestChav »

Leaferclove wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 21:58
ForestChav wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 21:46 I don't really follow F1, but surely Donington Park, being a stone's throw from an international airport and where the M1 meets the A42 and A50, would already have satisfied the transport links needed for Silverstone at that stage?
Around that time the-then owners of Brands Hatch had made a big push to host the British GP, which ultimately came to nothing.

You're right about Donington's location, but the circuit itself relies heavily on the A453 and Melbourne Road which get absolutely jammed on any significant race day. But since MotoGP moved to Silverstone and World Superbikes' fall in popularity, they don't really host anything significant any more. I remember trying to get out of there on World Superbike/MotoGP race weekends in the early 2000s and it taking hours - and that was on a bike. The complaints in the following week's issue of MCN after each race used to appear like clockwork. F1 would have absolutely crippled the place.
That bit of A453 could easily be dualled to the M1 (it already is parallel) and the A42 though. Would've been much cheaper than the A43.
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Re: A43 (M1 to M40) dates of upgrade to continuous dual carriageway

Post by Leaferclove »

ForestChav wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 22:04 That bit of A453 could easily be dualled to the M1 (it already is parallel) and the A42 though. Would've been much cheaper than the A43.
Very true, definitely more realistic. And with respect to Silverstone, a much better option from a racing point of view. Donington (or Brands) are far more picturesque, interesting race circuits than Silverstone.

Though if I remember correctly Donington's own push for the British GP in 2009 involved massive changes to the track itself but no details on transport links to the circuit. So that would've been interesting!
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Re: A43 (M1 to M40) dates of upgrade to continuous dual carriageway

Post by Big L »

Leaferclove wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 22:10
ForestChav wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 22:04 That bit of A453 could easily be dualled to the M1 (it already is parallel) and the A42 though. Would've been much cheaper than the A43.
Very true, definitely more realistic. And with respect to Silverstone, a much better option from a racing point of view. Donington (or Brands) are far more picturesque, interesting race circuits than Silverstone.

Though if I remember correctly Donington's own push for the British GP in 2009 involved massive changes to the track itself but no details on transport links to the circuit. So that would've been interesting!
The plan was exclusively park and ride, no car parking at the circuit for F1.

Then Donington ran out of money and the F1 plan fell apart.
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