A1 Western bypass widening

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JammyDodge
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

Post by JammyDodge »

3 lanes are open northbound from here
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JammyDodge
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

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All lanes open SB from at least J78
All lanes open NB after J76 merge

Feels like it will be finished by around the end of next week
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Mark Hewitt
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

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Fantastic that it's coming to a conclusion. Still got two more years of Birtley to CoalHouse - which is causing significant congestion, especially Southbound.
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

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Appears that this is going to be 60mph rather than 50mph like the Gateshead bypass. One of the bags covering the permanent signs has fallen off.

Also on the discussion of signs the lane merger diagram at Junction 79 is just outright wrong with the mainline having 4 lanes (instead of 3) and not sure who thought aligning the font in centre on the signs at Junction 76 Southbound was a good idea, weirdly all the others are fine.
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

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jabbaboy wrote: Sat Sep 17, 2022 20:28 Appears that this is going to be 60mph rather than 50mph like the Gateshead bypass. One of the bags covering the permanent signs has fallen off.

Also on the discussion of signs the lane merger diagram at Junction 79 is just outright wrong with the mainline having 4 lanes (instead of 3) and not sure who thought aligning the font in centre on the signs at Junction 76 Southbound was a good idea, weirdly all the others are fine.
60mph from the start of the scheme along to jct 78 where it will be back up to 70mph for the last part of the scheme.
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Mark Hewitt
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

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60mph. Interesting. A quite unusual choice for a dual carriageway. The only time I recall a 60mph limit is actually also on the A1 but just North of the Black Cat Roundabout.
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

Post by mbeatts »

I wonder why this section of narrow lanes is a 60 but the coal house narrow lanes is a 50, maybe junction distances.
Gaz909909
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

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Mark Hewitt wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 12:33 60mph. Interesting. A quite unusual choice for a dual carriageway. The only time I recall a 60mph limit is actually also on the A1 but just North of the Black Cat Roundabout.
A31 west of Guildford :D
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Debaser
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

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mbeatts wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 12:47 I wonder why this section of narrow lanes is a 60 but the coal house narrow lanes is a 50, maybe junction distances.
IIRC risk assessment has shown that potentially it's safer as it won't be HGVs sitting on their limiters which will define the maximum speeds. I believe there may also have been a trial of different speeds* elsewhere on the network which took place between the design stages of the two schemes.


*I may be conflating the trial of speed limits within roadworks which took place around this time, it's been a few years.
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

Post by Bryn666 »

Debaser wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 15:57
mbeatts wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 12:47 I wonder why this section of narrow lanes is a 60 but the coal house narrow lanes is a 50, maybe junction distances.
IIRC risk assessment has shown that potentially it's safer as it won't be HGVs sitting on their limiters which will define the maximum speeds. I believe there may also have been a trial of different speeds* elsewhere on the network which took place between the design stages of the two schemes.


*I may be conflating the trial of speed limits within roadworks which took place around this time, it's been a few years.
I've no issue with A road duals being 60, a lot are shockingly designed to have the same speed limit as motorways. It's also another reason why we should have the happy car roads so "all purpose with near motorway characteristics" becomes a design standard halfway between at grade semi urban dual and full blown motorway.
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Chris Bertram
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

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Gaz909909 wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 15:39
Mark Hewitt wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 12:33 60mph. Interesting. A quite unusual choice for a dual carriageway. The only time I recall a 60mph limit is actually also on the A1 but just North of the Black Cat Roundabout.
A31 west of Guildford :D
A45 between Birmingham and Coventry.
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Big L
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

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Chris Bertram wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 17:41
Gaz909909 wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 15:39
Mark Hewitt wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 12:33 60mph. Interesting. A quite unusual choice for a dual carriageway. The only time I recall a 60mph limit is actually also on the A1 but just North of the Black Cat Roundabout.
A31 west of Guildford :D
A45 between Birmingham and Coventry.
Chunks of the A34 and A449 in Staffordshire.
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MotorwayGuy
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

Post by MotorwayGuy »

A282 in Dartford is a D4 with a 60 limit.

A22 near Hailsham is 60 on the Southbound side and NSL Northbound which is slightly wider. I believe the southbound carriageway was the original road and the dualed it on the cheap by adding another parallel and not doing anything to it. I'm surprised they haven't made it all 50 here to be honest.

The A21 at Flimwell is 60 and is suffering from one lane syndrome.
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

Post by Bryn666 »

Chris Bertram wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 17:41
Gaz909909 wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 15:39
Mark Hewitt wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 12:33 60mph. Interesting. A quite unusual choice for a dual carriageway. The only time I recall a 60mph limit is actually also on the A1 but just North of the Black Cat Roundabout.
A31 west of Guildford :D
A45 between Birmingham and Coventry.
This one was the first in the country and goes back to the early 70s if not even further before.
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

Post by M19 »

A45 to the south of Northampton is 60mph - it’s a variable standard where there has been some past constrained upgrading.
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

Post by jabbaboy »

mbeatts wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 10:52
jabbaboy wrote: Sat Sep 17, 2022 20:28 Appears that this is going to be 60mph rather than 50mph like the Gateshead bypass. One of the bags covering the permanent signs has fallen off.

Also on the discussion of signs the lane merger diagram at Junction 79 is just outright wrong with the mainline having 4 lanes (instead of 3) and not sure who thought aligning the font in centre on the signs at Junction 76 Southbound was a good idea, weirdly all the others are fine.
60mph from the start of the scheme along to jct 78 where it will be back up to 70mph for the last part of the scheme.
Thank you for confirming.

It's a shame that there still isn't any form of technology upgrades on it. I know it was planned years ago and it would've been the ideal time to fit it, similar on the Gateshead / Coalhouse schemes aswell especially when other parts of the country even rural areas have had it for decades now.
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JammyDodge
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

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Basically fully open now
Construction signage has gone. Just cones and sign holders left here and there
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CallumParry
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

Post by CallumParry »

Looks decent, can be viewed on this camera

https://netrafficcams.co.uk/newcastle-b ... oad-a1-j76
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the cheesecake man
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

Post by the cheesecake man »

Mark Hewitt wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 12:33 60mph. Interesting. A quite unusual choice for a dual carriageway. The only time I recall a 60mph limit is actually also on the A1 but just North of the Black Cat Roundabout.
A631 in Gainsborough
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Mark Hewitt
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Re: A1 Western bypass widening

Post by Mark Hewitt »

the cheesecake man wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 13:17
Mark Hewitt wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 12:33 60mph. Interesting. A quite unusual choice for a dual carriageway. The only time I recall a 60mph limit is actually also on the A1 but just North of the Black Cat Roundabout.
A631 in Gainsborough
With good reason; as you're barrelling straight into a traffic light controlled junction, last thing you want is traffic speeding up after the S2.
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