A19

[Glenn A]

Old enough to remember when the section from Testos Roundabout to Seaton Burn was called A108, then the A1. Also can remember when the A19 ended in South Shields town centre.

[Chris Bertram]

Old enough to remember when the section from Testos Roundabout to Seaton Burn was called A108, then the A1. Also can remember when the A19 ended in South Shields town centre.

Ditto. But then again I'm old enough to remember when A19 actually ran through Stockton, Billingham, Castle Eden, Easington village, Cold Hesledon, New Seaham, Ryhope et al. And along Fawcett Street in the centre of Sunderland.

[KeithW]

Ditto. But then again I'm old enough to remember when A19 actually ran through Stockton, Billingham, Castle Eden, Easington village, Cold Hesledon, New Seaham, Ryhope et al. And along Fawcett Street in the centre of Sunderland.

Me too, I recall driving along it while they were building the bypasses, at that time my usual route heading north to Scotland was over the Newport Bridge to Billingham and Norton before driving the Wolviston road to the A689 then west to the A1(M). The current A19 from Crathorne to Billingham only opened in 1975, before that the A19 went along Stockton High Street.

South of Crathorne the A19/A168 went through the market place at Thirsk crossing the bridge at Asenby here.
https://www.google.com/maps/@54.1779386 ... &entry=ttu

I cant quite remember when the old flat junction at Dishforth was replaced as before that most traffic, including the coaches, followed the A19 to York and then took the A64 to the A1 at Bramham.

I know I have posted this link before but its worth a look.
https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/tees ... r-26123105

They demolished half the town centre including the old Royal Exchange to build it.

[wrinkly]

I cant quite remember when the old flat junction at Dishforth was replaced as before that most traffic, including the coaches, followed the A19 to York and then took the A64 to the A1 at Bramham.

The first GSJ at Dishforth was about 1988-9 if I remember correctly. At that time the expectation was that the A1 would later be upgraded to D3 AP with marginal strips. The layout only lasted for about 7 years because it was changed when the A1 was upgraded to D3M plus local access road, opened 1995.

I have never seen an OS map, at any scale, showing the first GSJ. In response to a query from me, Bryn posted a clip from a 1994 A-Z map. See the three consecutive posts (me, Bryn, me) beginning at this link:

viewtopic.php?p=1299393#p1299393

[Truvelo]

There's a 1989 Landranger showing the first GSJ for sale on ebay. Thankfully the seller took a photo of the right section of the map.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/SyoAAOSw ... -l1600.jpg

[GillsPeter]

There's a 1989 Landranger showing the first GSJ for sale on ebay. Thankfully the seller took a photo of the right section of the map.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/SyoAAOSw ... -l1600.jpg

There's a GSJ for sale on eBay? I hate to think the postage and packaging on that!

[Glenn A]

Old enough to remember when the section from Testos Roundabout to Seaton Burn was called A108, then the A1. Also can remember when the A19 ended in South Shields town centre.

Ditto. But then again I'm old enough to remember when A19 actually ran through Stockton, Billingham, Castle Eden, Easington village, Cold Hesledon, New Seaham, Ryhope et al. And along Fawcett Street in the centre of Sunderland.

I can remember the A19 going through the eastern suburbs of Stockton until 1977, when the new by pass was built and the Tees Bridge opened. Also until 1981, remember the A66 trudging through the south of the town and the western suburbs of Middlesbrough until a nice D2 by pass was built to relieve both towns.

[Chris Bertram]

Old enough to remember when the section from Testos Roundabout to Seaton Burn was called A108, then the A1. Also can remember when the A19 ended in South Shields town centre.

Ditto. But then again I'm old enough to remember when A19 actually ran through Stockton, Billingham, Castle Eden, Easington village, Cold Hesledon, New Seaham, Ryhope et al. And along Fawcett Street in the centre of Sunderland.

I can remember the A19 going through the eastern suburbs of Stockton until 1977, when the new by pass was built and the Tees Bridge opened. Also until 1981, remember the A66 trudging through the south of the town and the western suburbs of Middlesbrough until a nice D2 by pass was built to relieve both towns.

A19 always went through the centre of Stockton, but through traffic was directed along A1027 which is the road that passes through the *western* suburbs. It's still there, albeit not as important now. The route of the old A19 is now A135 from Yarm to Stockton and A139 from Stockton to Billiingham

[DeptForLameExcuses]

A19 north of Tyne Tunnel.

I have found out, some time ago, when all of this section was built. It was not really declared as a strategic through-route, as you could expect, but it was built in a minimal-publicity manner. No Watership Down rabbits having nightmares, or protesters. I don't think that it was built as a national scheme, merely just a local scheme, not a B road, an un-numbered road or something. But a good un-numbered road? A lot of new settlements were being built at the time. The bulldozer-friendly Cramlington. Think East Germany. Milton Keynes with Tyneside accents.

And it was built earlier than you might expect. Although the A1 was diverted around the Tyne Tunnel from the mid-1970s or something, you tell me, the section north of the Tyne Tunnel was built from 1970-72, or earlier than that. Most was built by 1972 or something. I think, from memory, it was built in 1969? It was ahead of its time. And the private-school-educated protesters.

[Ritchie333]

Although the A1 was diverted around the Tyne Tunnel from the mid-1970s or something, you tell me, the section north of the Tyne Tunnel was built from 1970-72, or earlier than that. Most was built by 1972 or something. I think, from memory, it was built in 1969? It was ahead of its time. And the private-school-educated protesters.

You don't need to rely on memory, we have mapping evidence directly on SABRE. The 1968 one inch shows the A108 (as was) from the Tyne Tunnel to the A1058, the 1970 quarter inch shows it complete to the A191 and under construction to the A189, while the whole road is complete as of the 1972 one inch.

Meanwhile, the 1974 route planner shows the road as primary to the A1058, but non-primary beyond this.

[DeptForLameExcuses]

Now to guess when the A1 was diverted through the (one-lane) Tyne Tunnel. Why put the A1 through a one-lane tunnel?

I know it wasn't the early 1970s, because it was going over the Tyne Bridge, and the Central Newcastle Motorway. I think it was diverted before the 1980s, so I think 1977-78? Maybe 1976, but I think later.

[owen b]

Now to guess when the A1 was diverted through the (one-lane) Tyne Tunnel. Why put the A1 through a one-lane tunnel?

I know it wasn't the early 1970s, because it was going over the Tyne Bridge, and the Central Newcastle Motorway. I think it was diverted before the 1980s, so I think 1977-78? Maybe 1976, but I think later.

Again, it's in the SABRE Wiki :
"History
In 1977, Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead had had a de facto eastern bypass for a few years, but the A1 still ran through the centre. Though part of that route had been upgraded with a swish new urban motorway avoiding the city centre, the rest of the motorway plans that would provide a decent bypass for through traffic that still served the city centre had been scuppered. As such, various routes were renumbered so as to give a bypass for A1 traffic via the relatively new Tyne Tunnel. The route took over the A194(M) between Birtley and White Mare Pool, the A184 between White Mare Pool and Testos Roundabout and the A108 between Testos and Seaton Burn. Many other roads were renumbered at this time due to the moving of the zone-boundary.

In 1990, the Newcastle Western bypass opened and A1 traffic was diverted that way, undoing most of the renumberings caused by the move eastwards, though what was the A108 became A19."
https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/ind ... yne_Tunnel

[jabbaboy]

Now to guess when the A1 was diverted through the (one-lane) Tyne Tunnel. Why put the A1 through a one-lane tunnel?

I'm unsure on the date, but it's better having one lane through a tunnel vs one lane through the centre of Low Fell and Gosforth which the A1 also used at the time.

[Te2024]

Quick question on moor farm roundabout if thats ok.

When heading up the A189 and wanting to head left and north along the A19, are you allowed to be in the second hand land to follow through like the below?

[Truvelo]

Officially both lanes are for A189 north with the left lane also for A19 north and the right lane for A19 south. In reality though, if there's a Nissan Micra in the left lane you could safely make it to the A19 north from the right hand lane. If you're riding a Fireblade or Hayabusa you could even turn onto the B1505 south from the right hand lane before traffic in the left lane gets in your way.

[jabbaboy]

Quick question on moor farm roundabout if thats ok.

When heading up the A189 and wanting to head left and north along the A19, are you allowed to be in the second hand land to follow through like the below?

Must admit, one thing that baffles me about Moor Farm is the fact that the A1171 is totally ignored on the roundabout markings and is completely a mismatch of deciding whether that's the way to Cramlington or not the way to Cramlington.

[JammyDodge]

Quick question on moor farm roundabout if thats ok.

When heading up the A189 and wanting to head left and north along the A19, are you allowed to be in the second hand land to follow through like the below?

At your own risk.

[Gaz909909]

Quick question on moor farm roundabout if thats ok.

When heading up the A189 and wanting to head left and north along the A19, are you allowed to be in the second hand land to follow through like the below?

Must admit, one thing that baffles me about Moor Farm is the fact that the A1171 is totally ignored on the roundabout markings and is completely a mismatch of deciding whether that's the way to Cramlington or not the way to Cramlington.

It would be a pretty dangerous move.

Using general rules of use on a roundabout, I'd be perfectly in my rights to be in the left lane to exit onto the A1171. You'd be crazy to cut across to exit. Unless marked on the road, I would argue that in a right hand lane, you're best off heading straight on (if the exit is two lanes) or turning right.

Sooner or later, if you take the above approach, you are going to have a serious accident.

[Glenn A]

Then there is the A19 south of Thirsk which is S2 and still goes through York as a non primary route. It's like a completely different road to the section from Thirsk to Seaton Burn, but has a much lower volume of traffic. Easingwold being by passed was a big improvement, though.

[varga]

Then there is the A19 south of Thirsk which is S2 and still goes through York as a non primary route. It's like a completely different road to the section from Thirsk to Seaton Burn, but has a much lower volume of traffic. Easingwold being by passed was a big improvement, though.

growing up in Durham, A1 and A59 was the usual route for York... I knew A19 was all dual north of Boro and south of the Tyne, so what I assumed was that the whole lot of that road was dual! so getting driven onto that road south of thirsk for the first time was... interesting
its what I imagine the whole route looked like pre the 1960s