M1 - M6 - A14
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Ordnance Survey map - Alternative aerial view
Where is it?
M1 junction 19. An indescribably important junction where the main route north from London, the M1, splits to the M1 and M6 for routes to the north east and north west, and on to Scotland. The A14 also ends here, a vital east-west link which exchanges lots of traffic with the M1 and M6 - it's almost a direct eastward extension of the M6.
What's wrong with it?
Well, just look at it, it's a joke! The M1 and M6 have had a simple fork here since the 1970's; when the A14 arrived in the 1990's, the junction wasn't so much adapted as worked around. The local Catthorpe - Swinford road that passed quietly under the junction was appropriated and now takes all the A14's traffic under the M1. The two tiny little roundabouts are no way to end a motorway-standard road, and the short drive up an unclassified road to reach the M6 is shameful.
Why is it wrong?
The A14 is a road built recently and on the cheap. It is mostly cobbled together from other roads, with just a few new built bits and a couple of junctions modified. The money was probably not available to do anything more with this junction, especially considering the cost and chaos of diverting the course of the M6 or M1. However, the cost is increased now that an even bigger junction must be remodelled - yes, this one will be rebuilt some time soon.
What would be better?
Anything but this. Except perhaps a signalised roundabout with priority bus lane. The plans proposed generally involve making it an all-access junction, with some links free-flowing and a roundabout underneath to do everything else, which is a pretty sound plan. The only worry is if the Catthorpe - Swinford road is removed from the junction, where does non-motorway traffic (which has a legal right to use the A14) go from here?
Right to Reply
Email me with your comments.
Oluwasegun Akin-Olugbade has experienced the problems first hand:
I crashed yesterday at the junction to Catthorpe. I was coming from the A14, and someone pulled out from the road coming from Catthorpe to go towards the M1 or A14. Even though it is solely the other guy's fault, I think a roundabout at that junction would have reduced my speed and helped me avoid the write off and insurance trouble I now have to deal with.
Dave Hinton is counting his blessings: (Feb 09)
Short Memories! Cast your minds back to those heady days before Catthorpe junction; the only way to get to Rugby/M6 from M1S would be to go the long way down M69/A5 or M1 J20 and rattle along A426 to reach A5/M6. Catthorpe may not be perfect but it achieves (after a fashion) an easier link. And don't knock A14; this country is obsessed with getting N-S with scant regard to those wanting to go E-W...
Jim Higgs is desperate: (Feb 09)
I don't have any ideas for altering this junction, I only know something needs to be done and quickly. I came down the M6 today and got off onto the A14. The queue on the A14 slip road stretched back almost onto the M6. In the few minutes I waited several cars joined the slip road far too late and in front of me when I thought I'd got on at the back of the queue. They had to force their way in. Fortunately the lorry in front of me had left a reasonable gap between himself and the vehicle in front but when three cars one behind the other tried to get in, the back offside corners of these cars were left sticking out onto the inside lane of the M6 with lorries missing them by inches. With cars in the outside lane of the M6 the lorries have nowhere to go. One large lorry attempted an emergency stop before his momentum took him just past the tail end of the cars. What on earth do they think they're doing! Most of them wouldn't say boo to a goose but put them in a car and they think they're on a mission worth risking the lives of they're families, they're selves and everyone else! Unbelievable.
Jake Stevenson adds: (Feb 09)
Total killer junction; endless carnage and delays because the government built it on the cheap. The Highways Agency are only just showing plans locally and then there will be years of enquiries. Many more fatals before then I fear.
Tom Yarwood considers it a prize-winner: (Feb 09)
Is it just a co-incidence that the Catthorpe interchange is first on your list of bad junctions? In this Olympic year [2008] it gets my gold medal award scoring well on inelegance and inadequacy. It's the epitome of what is wrong with our 'get away with the minimum' attitude to transport infrastructure. Sadly the London Olymics will have passed before this junction is improved to the standard it should have been made to in 1994. Despite never having used it, the winner in the sheer clumsyness catagory has to be Switch Island and I take your word for it that is overloaded so it gets my silver. As the Olympic triumph was by 'Team GB' I cannot leave out Scotland and having been held up for 40 mins there the Sheriffhall roundabout on the A720 should get the bronze, if only it had a flyover to hang it from.
With thanks to Jason G, Declan and Eddie Talbot for information on this page.
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