A602

The A602 is a medium-length A-road in Hertfordshire.

Route

Hitchin – Ware

Stevenage Road, Hitchin

Starting at a roundabout on the A505 in Hitchin town centre, the A602 bypasses the southern side of town. It crosses the B656 (former A600) to rejoin its original route just in time to leave it again to run onto the Little Wymondley bypass. This was built in 1992 and it is conceivable that this bypass was planned as part of an outer orbital route which would have eventually linked up with the A120 to the east of the A10. The west end meets the A505 in Hitchin which, if the Luton Northern bypass is built, will provide a good link to the M1.

The bypass ends at A1(M) J8 and the road continues as a dual carriageway from there into Stevenage, where it runs along the original A1 (the rest of which is here the B197) for a short distance. Stevenage is a New Town so it's Roundabout City just like all the others.

The A602 leaves the town centre parallel to the old A1 and soon reaches a roundabout where three of the four exits are numbered A602 - the extra one is to the west which forms a southern bypass as far as A1(M) J7. There are actually two spurs meeting this roundabout as the fourth exit is a spur of the B197. The mainline of the A602 gains primary status at this point, something which the spur has already held.

The road remains dual to the edge of the Stevenage urban area then narrows. It runs alongside the Stevenage to Hertford North railway line as far as a roundabout on the Watton-at-Stone bypass, at the end of which the road meets the A119 and turns east. It runs around Woodhall Park before crossing the River Rib to end at the Westmill Interchange, a roundabout GSJ on the A10 Ware bypass. The road ahead into town is the B1001.

History

A602 historic route

The A602 used to run from Hitchin to Hoddesdon via Stevenage, Watton-at-Stone, Hertford and Hertford Heath. The section from Watton to Hertford has been renumbered A119 (which itself used to run from Hertford to Bishop's Stortford via Much Hadham). Within Hertford itself, the old A602 has become the A414, and between Hertford and Hoddesdon (a section that was renumbered earlier) the old A602 is now known as the B1197.

An abandoned section of former A602 near Watton-at-Stone

The A602 was diverted along what was the B1001 to Ware (and so bypassing the road to Hertford) following construction of the A10 bypass in the 1970s. This left the B1001 as only the short section from the bypass into Ware.

Original Author(s): Simon Davies

Recent Upgrades

Hertfordshire County Council improved four sections of the A602. These are:

• Capacity improvements on the Hertford Road Roundabout in Stevenage
  • This was opened in 2018/9? - the roundabout was removed and replaced with a singalised junction with dual two lane carriageways.
• Capacity improvements on the Paynes Hall Roundabout (also known as Anchor Lane Roundabout) near Ware
  • This was opened in 2018/9?
• Capacity improvements for the Watton-at-Stone southern roundabout
  • work started in 2020
• Realignment of the section between Heath Mount school, near Watton-at-Stone, and Stony Hills, with replacement junctions at Heath Mount School, Benington, Sacombe Pound, and Stony Hills.
  • This was opened in 2023

Opening Dates

Year	Section	Notes
1984	Watton-at-Stone Bypass	The 1.5 mile single carriageway road was opened on 10 December 1984 by Frank Cogan, County Council Chairman. Contractor was Henry Boot (Southern) Ltd., cost £3 million. The two river bridges and one road bridge were constructed by Norwest Holst Ltd..
1986	Tonwell Bypass	The 1 mile road from Stoney Hills junction (700m north of Tonwell) to Paynes Hall Roundabout (B158) was opened on 25 September 1986. Single carriageway with a climbing lane northbound on the uphill from the B158. Contractor was Biggs Wall of Arlesey, contract price £785,000, total cost £1.5 million.
1993	Little Wymondley Bypass	Opened in 1992/93 per Hansard and mentioned as recently opened in the 5 February 1993 Hertford Mercury and Reformer. It may have opened in 1992. Cost £11.75 million.
2023	Watton at Stone to Tonwell Improvement	The upgraded road including a re-aligned section between Heath Mount School and Stoneyhills was opened on 7 August 2023. Previous work included improving roundabouts and junctions. Contractor was Tilbury Douglas.

Videos

A602 Improvements - drive through

Have a look at what we've been doing to reduce rush hour queues on the A602 between Stevenage and Ware

Watch video > >