Star.pngStar.pngStar grey.pngStar grey.pngStar grey.png

A1018

From Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
A1018
Location Map ( geo)
Cameraicon.png View gallery (4)
Sunderland Southern Radial Route
From:  Seaton (NZ401493)
To:  South Shields (NZ365668)
Via:  Sunderland
Distance:  12.5 miles (20.1 km)
Meets:  A19, B1285, B1522, B1287, B1405, B1522, A1231, B1294, B1293, A183, A1290, B1291, A184, B1299, A1300, B1301, B1298, A183, A194
Former Number(s):  A19
Primary Destinations
Highway Authorities

Durham • South Tyneside • Sunderland

Traditional Counties

Durham

Route outline (key)
A1018 Seaton - Harton
A1018 Harton - South Shields
This article is about the current A1018 near Sunderland.
For the original A1018 in north east Essex, see A1018 (Essex)
.
For the later A1018 in Grantham, Lincolnshire, see A1018 (Grantham).


The A1018 is a short and mostly urban A-road which follows the original line of the A19 in north east County Durham. However, there have been a number of upgrades since the A19 days and so the A1018 does not follow that road's original route as much as expected. It is mostly primary, linking the modern A19 trunk road with Sunderland and South Shields.

Route

Seaton - Sunderland

The road starts at a fork GSJ at Seaton on the A19 Seaham bypass. The road continues as a dual-carriageway along a road opened with the A19 number until it meets the original course of that road as it crosses Ryhope Dene. After going under a bridge carrying a dismantled railway the A1018 turns right at a roundabout leaving the ex-A19 to continue ahead on what is now the B1522. From here the speed limit drops to 50mph and the A1018 is entirely single-carriageway until it reaches Sunderland city centre.

After passing through a roundabout with only two arms - presumably future-proofed to provide access to unbuilt infrastructure - the A1018 meets the B1287 at a further roundabout and turns left to run parallel to the Durham Coast railway line. Both are essentially running along the cliff top, although the sea is barely visible at this point. After meeting the B1405 at Salterfen Roundabout, the road goes over the railway line - with good views of the sea to the right - before dropping down to go under a freight line to Sunderland Docks. A traffic light controlled crossroads at Hendon Grange sees the road become more urban in character. A few more roundabouts take the road past the residential areas of Grangetown and Hendon before the A1231 (unsigned at this point) is met at another roundabout on the edge of the city centre.

A1018 crossing River Wear in Sunderland

The road bypasses the city centre to the east and some maps claim that this section is non-primary, with the primary route passing around the west of the commercial area on the A1231. The signs have not been replaced since the completion of the Sunderland Southern Radial Route in 2008, which resulted in the A1018 being moved to its current alignment, making the route difficult to follow on the ground. The A1018 continues ahead along a road still signposted with its former number, the B1522 and then turns left at the next roundabout, outside the Charltons pub. At the following roundabout it meets its former route (now the B1294). After one more roundabout, giving access to the docks on the B1293, the road curves left to run parallel to the River Wear (although it's not visible from the road) before a short dualled section takes the A1018 back to the ex-A19 and it turns right to cross the Wearmouth Bridge.

Sunderland - South Shields

On the north bank of the Wear the A183, which multiplexed with the A1018 over the bridge, turns right at traffic lights. For many years there was a substantial one-way system in this area, with northbound traffic running along North Bridge Street while southbound traffic followed Roker Avenue, Church Street North and part of Dame Dorothy Street. However, in 2019 North Bridge Street and Dame Dorothy Street were opened to two-way traffic making many journeys on the A1018 and the A183 more direct. Following North Bridge Street, the A1018 runs parallel to the railway line to a set of traffic lights where the A1290 turns left and Roker Avenue turns right. This junction was previously a large, D-shaped roundabout but was remodelled into a more conventional crossroads in the early 2010s.

Past here, the A1018 continues through the northern suburbs as Newcastle Road. It goes over the railway line near Stadium of Light Metro Station (the stadium itself is a short walk away) and meets the B1291 at a large traffic light controlled crossroads. After this it begins to leave the urban area behind, passing Fulwell Mill and a large car dealership on the left hand side before meeting the A184 at a roundabout. The A1018 bears right here and passes the Academy of Light - Sunderland AFC's training ground - before a short, rural section leads to the village of Cleadon. After zigzagging through the village, the road enters open country again and the former A19 turns off to the right along Sunderland Road. Soon after, the A1018 becomes dual at a roundabout as it enters the urban area of South Shields and runs along King George Road into Harton.

The A1300 is crossed at the next roundabout and the A1018 loses primary status. It continues north through the suburbs until meeting the old A19 again just before the road narrows and begins to feel more urban. A short one-way loop begins at the next roundabout, northbound traffic running straight on along Imeary Street while southbound traffic follows Westoe Road and Dean Road. The A1018 then continues north along Westoe Road, ending at traffic lights by the town hall at a triple point with the A194 to the left and the A183 straight ahead. The old A19 continued ahead along Fowler Street into the town centre but this is now pedestrianised.

History

The A19 was moved onto the Sunderland Bypass as part of the renumberings that took place when the A1 was re-routed through the Tyne Tunnel. That road's former route became the A1018, running through Ryhope on Stockton Road, then along Ryhope Road, passing through Sunderland city centre, crossing the Wearmouth Bridge and continuing on to South Shields. At some stage, the main through route in Sunderland city centre was diverted away from Burdon Road, Fawcett Street and Bridge Street onto Park Road, Toward Road, Borough Road, Sans Street and West Wear Street.

The Sunderland Southern Radial Route was completed in 2008, having opened in stages between the Wellfield Roundabout south of Ryhope and Hendon Grange where it met the existing road network. The A1018 was moved onto a more easterly alignment along Hendon Road and Commercial Road to meet the northern end of the new road. In the process, it took over some of the B1294 and almost the entire B1522. The displaced B-roads were in turn moved onto the A1018's former alignment - the B1522 between the Wellfield Roundabout and the gyratory at the northern end of Ryhope Road, and the B1294 onto Toward Road and Borough Road.




A1018
Junctions
Crossings
Roads
Places
Related Pictures
View gallery (4)
Rail and Road bridges over the River Wear - Geograph - 928189.jpgWearmouth Bridge - Geograph - 623383.jpgMonkwearmouth Bridge 3 - Geograph - 517024.jpgA19 near Seaton - Geograph - 314344.jpg
Other nearby roads
Sunderland
South Shields
NCN1 • A19 • A183 • A185 • A194 • A1055 (Co Durham) • A1300 • B1298 • B1300 (Chichester) • B1300 (Tyne Dock - Marsden) • B1301 • B1302 • B1303 • B1344 • EuroVelo 12
A1000-A1099
A1000 • A1001 • A1002 • A1003 • A1004 • A1005 • A1006 • A1007 • A1008 • A1009 • A1010 • A1011 • A1012 • A1013 • A1014 • A1015 • A1016 • A1017 • A1018 • A1019
A1020 • A1021 • A1022 • A1023 • A1024 • A1025 • A1026 • A1027 • A1028 • A1029 • A1030 • A1031 • A1032 • A1033 • A1034 • A1035 • A1036 • A1037 • A1038 • A1039
A1040 • A1041 • A1042 (N) • A1042 (S) • A1043 • A1044 • A1045 • A1046 • A1047 • A1048 • A1049 • A1050 • A1051 • A1052 • A1053 • A1054 • A1055 • A1056 (N) • A1056 (S) • A1057 • A1058 • A1058(M) • A1059
A1060 • A1061 • A1062 • A1063 • A1064 • A1065 • A1066 • A1067 • A1068 • A1069 • A1070 • A1071 • A1072 • A1073 • A1074 • A1075 • A1076 • A1077 • A1078 • A1079
A1080 • A1081 • A1082 • A1083 • A1084 • A1085 • A1086 • A1087 • A1088 • A1089 • A1090 • A1091 • A1092 • A1093 • A1094 • A1095 • A1096 • A1097 • A1098 • A1099
Earlier Uses: A1000 • A1001 • A1010 • A1016(N) • A1016(S) • A1018(S) • A1018(N) • A1019 • A1020 • A1021 • A1022 • A1023 • A1025 • A1027 • A1032(N) • A1032 (S) • A1037
A1041(N) • A1041(S) • A1053 • A1054 • A1055 • A1056 • A1057 • A1059 • A1060 • A1062 • A1063 • A1070(E) • A1070(W) • A1072 • A1074(E) • A1074(W) • A1075 • A1076 • A1078
A1080 • A1081 • A1082 • A1089 • A1090 • A1096

SABRE - The Society for All British and Irish Road Enthusiasts
Discuss - Digest - Discover - Help