A6097
| A6097 | ||||
| Location Map ( geo) | ||||
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| From: | Bingham (SK701415) | |||
| To: | Warren Hill (SK623552) | |||
| Distance: | 10.4 miles (16.7 km) | |||
| Meets: | B692, A46, A612, B6386, A614 | |||
| Former Number(s): | B688 | |||
| Highway Authorities | ||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||
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The A6097 is important as a link between the A46 from Leicester and the northern A1 via the A614, and was upgraded as an early pre-motorway bypass of Nottingham. It is fairly busy as it has the only crossing of the Trent between Nottingham and Newark, at Gunthorpe Bridge.
Route
The road starts at a large roundabout on the Fosse Way just North of Bingham. This is the original line of the A46 and the A6097 still reaches this roundabout as it provides access to the southbound slip roads for the present A46 (despite maps claiming that the offslip is unclassified and the onslip is accessed via the B692). The road heads northwest along a single-carriageway road to go over the A46 to a smaller roundabout where it meets the northbound slip road.
Continuing on, the road shortly meets a signalled crossroads for Newton and East Bridgford. The River Trent is crossed at Gunthorpe Bridge, two bends either side of the river crossing signalling this, and then skirts Gunthorpe village to the West before approaching Lowdham, where the road is dual carriageway either side of the roundabout with the A612, which is followed by another signalled crossroads for access to Lambley. After the bypass ends the road returns to single carriageway and bypasses Epperstone, before two mini roundabouts and a signalled junction link to Calverton and Woodborough. The road then heads to Oxton which again is bypassed - single-carriageway and straight until the roundabout with the B6386, then wide dual-carriageway, complete with trees in the central reservation (as at Lowdham) north of the roundabout. This dual carriageway is enforced with a 50mph speed limit. Once the original alignment is rejoined the road uneventfully heads towards its junction with the A614 at Warren Hill which is curiously shaped like a roundabout but both carriageways of the A614 have priority through it, so turning onto the Northbound A614 involves needing to give way to both directions of traffic.
History
This road was originally the route of the B688, which used to pass through the villages of East Bridgford, Gunthorpe, Lowdham, Epperstone and Oxton. The A6097 had come into being by the time of the 1924-25 OS MoT map, the first new A6xxx road since classification in 1922. This original section was between the A46 at Bar Farm, East Bridgford and A612 at Lowdham. Gunthorpe Bridge was opened in 1927 and the A6097 was then moved onto the bridge and and adjacent approach roads.
The road was extended northwards to Warren Hill after World War II (shown on the 1954 OS One inch Map) with Oxton being later fully bypassed in 1956.
Opening Dates
| Location | County | Date | Distance | Notes | Location Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxton Bypass (north section) | Nottinghamshire | 1942 | 1.6 miles (2.6 km) | The section north of the Nottingham Road junction (formerly B6386) opened on 24 March 1942 and cost £37,000. Work had commenced shortly after April 1939. The southern section together with the second carriageway, cyclepaths, footpaths and landscaping was left until after the war. It opened originally as part of B688. | |
| Oxton Bypass (south section) | Nottinghamshire | 1956 | 0.8 miles (1.3 km) | The section south of the Nottingham Road junction (formerly B6386) was opened on 24 April 1956 by Hugh Molson, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport. A single concrete carriageway, 22 feet wide with 12 inch wide white edging strips and 5 foot hard shoulders. The concrete slab was 8 inches thick with a single steel layer reinforcement. Space was left for a second carriageway later. Contractor was John Laing and Son Ltd, cost £20,000. This completed the bypass which had only been partially completed (the northern section in 1942) due to the war. The 1960 OS one inch map incorrectly showed it as a dual carriageway and the 1958 interim revision had omitted it. | |
| Epperstone Bypass | Nottinghamshire | 1932 | 0.9 miles (1.4 km) | It was opened informally on 6 October 1932 by Sir Lancelot Rolleston, Chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council. It had taken 18 months to construct and cost £18,000. It opened originally as part of B688. | |
| Epperstone – Lowdham Diversion | Nottinghamshire | 1964 | 0.8 miles (1.3 km) | Epperstone Bypass easterly extension to north end of Lowdham Bypass. Newark Advertiser on 29 January 1964 reported that since the new road had opened Woodborough residents were directing motorists, who had followed the verges in thick fog, back to the main road. It may have opened in late 1963. It was not shown on the 1963 OS one inch map. | |
| Lowdham Bypass | Nottinghamshire | 1939 | 1.1 miles (1.8 km) | Dual carriageway. Contractor was Messrs. Fletcher and Co., Mansfield, cost £15,328. The section south of A612 Nottingham Road was A6097 on opening. The northern part originally opened as part of B688. | |
| Gunthorpe Bridge, Gunthorpe and East Bridgford Bypasses | Nottinghamshire | 1927 | 2.4 miles (3.9 km) | The bridge and new approach roads from Lowdham Road, Gunthorpe to A46 at Margidunum (north of Bingham) were opened on 17 November 1927 by the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII. Cost £125,000. |
