A1(M) motorway

A1(M) is the designation given to a series of four separate motorway sections in England. Each section is an upgrade to a section of the A1, a major north–south road, which connects London, the capital of England, with Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The first section, the Doncaster Bypass, opened in 1961 and is one of the oldest sections of motorway in Britain.[1] Construction of a new section of A1(M) between Leeming and Barton was completed on 29 March 2018, a year later than the anticipated opening in 2017 due to extensive archaeological excavations. Its completion linked the Barton to Washington section with the Darrington to Leeming Bar section, forming the longest A1(M) section overall and reducing the number of sections from five to four.

The four sections of the A1(M) highlighted against the other UK motorways
Looking northwards at Washington Services as the A1(M) approaches Junction 65

There has been a proposal to renumber the section of A1(M) to M1 between Micklefield and Washington, making this section a northern extension of the M1.[2]

Overview

Most of the English section of the A1 is a series of alternating sections of primary route, dual carriageway and motorway. From Newcastle upon Tyne to Edinburgh it is a trunk road with alternating sections of dual and single carriageway. The table below summarises the road as motorway and non-motorway sections.[3] The non-motorway sections do not have junction numbers.

Road Name Junctions Length Ceremonial counties/
Lieutenancies		 Primary destinations
miles km
A1 16.58 26.68 London
Hertfordshire		 London
A1(M) 1–10 24.14 38.84 Hertfordshire Hertford
Stevenage
A1 26.25 42.24 Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire
Cambridgeshire		 Bedford,
Cambridge,
Huntingdon
A1(M) 13–17 12.84 20.66 Cambridgeshire Peterborough
A1 72.99 117.44 Cambridgeshire, Rutland
Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire		 Stamford, Grantham
Newark on Trent
A1(M) 34–38 15.13 24.34 South Yorkshire Worksop, Blyth, Doncaster,
Rotherham, Barnsley
A1 7.51 12.08 South Yorkshire
West Yorkshire		 Pontefract, Castleford,
Wakefield
A1(M) 40–65 93.27 150.10 West Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
County Durham
Tyne and Wear		 Selby, Leeds, York, Wetherby, Harrogate,
Thirsk, Ripon, Catterick, Richmond, Scotch Corner,
Darlington, Teesside, Bishop Auckland, Durham,
Chester-le-Street, Stanley, Beamish,
Birtley, Washington (Sunderland), Gateshead
A1 128.29 206.42 Northumberland, Berwickshire
East Lothian, Edinburgh		 Gateshead, Blaydon, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Cramlington,
Morpeth, Alnwick, Belford, Lindisfarne, Berwick-upon-Tweed,
Eyemouth, Dunbar, Haddington,
Tranent, Prestonpans, Musselburgh, Edinburgh
397.00 638.78

From London to Sunderland, 123.33 miles of the route are non-motorway while the remaining 145.38 miles are to motorway standards.

The motorway sections are discussed below.

South Mimms to Stotfold

A1(M)
Route information
Part of E15
Maintained by Highways England
Length24 mi (39 km)
Existed1962–present
HistoryConstructed 1962–1986
Major junctions
North endSouth Mimms
 
South endStotfold
Location
Primary
destinations		Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth
Road network
The northern portal of the Hatfield Tunnel

This section opened in stages:

  • Junctions 1 to 2 opened in 1979
  • Junctions 2 to 4 opened in 1986
  • Junctions 4 to 6 opened in 1973
  • Junctions 6 to 8 opened in 1962
  • Junctions 8 to 10 opened in 1967

Junctions
A1(M) motorway junctions
km Southbound exits (B carriageway) Junction Northbound exits (A carriageway)
Road continues as A1 to Central London J1
Services		 M25
(M1)
Watford, Stansted , Potters Bar, South Mimms
Services

Non-motorway traffic
M25
(M1)
Heathrow , Watford, Stansted , Potters Bar
Barnet A1081
South Mimms services		 Start of motorway
No Exit (Access slip road only) J2 Welham Green A1001
St Albans A414
Welham Green A1001		 J3 St Albans A414
Hatfield A1001
Hatfield Tunnel Tunnel Hatfield Tunnel
Hertford A414
Hatfield A1001
Welwyn Garden City A6129		 J4 Hertford A414
Welwyn Garden City A6129
No Access or Exit J5 No Exit (Access slip road only)
Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn A1000 J6 Welwyn A1000
Ware, Stevenage A602 J7 Stevenage A602
Hitchin
Stevenage (N) A602		 J8 Hitchin
Stevenage (N) A602
Letchworth, Baldock A505 J9 Baldock, Letchworth A505
Start of motorway J10
Services		 Stotfold, Shefford A507
Baldock services
Baldock, Stotfold A507
Baldock Services

Non-Motorway Traffic		 Road continues as A1 to Alconbury

The NORTH, Peterborough A1

Alconbury to Peterborough

A1(M)
Route information
Part of E15
Maintained by Highways England
Length13 mi (21 km)
Existed1998–present
Major junctions
North endOrton Southgate
South endAlconbury
Location
Primary
destinations		Peterborough
Road network
A1(M) southbound at Sawtry.

This section runs through the Cambridgeshire countryside between Alconbury and Peterborough. It was officially opened by Lord Whitty on 31 October 1998, and is the most isolated of the motorway sections as it connects with no other motorway. It is designed to a noticeably high standard, eight miles of it being four lanes from Junction 14 at Alconbury to Junction 16 at Norman Cross in each direction whilst the remainder has three lanes in each direction. It is managed by Road Management Services (Peterborough) Ltd under a DBFO contract with the Highways Agency.[4]

Junctions
A1(M) motorway junctions
km Southbound exits (B carriageway) Junction Northbound exits (A carriageway)
No Exit (Access slip road only)

Road continues as A1 to Stotfold

London (C & W) A1		 J14 The Alconburys, The Stukeleys B1043
Non-motorway traffic
London (E), Huntingdon, Cambridge
Stansted
A14, (M11)		 Start of motorway

No Access to A14
Sawtry B1043 J15 Sawtry B1043
Ramsey (B660)
Yaxley A15
Stilton (B1043)
Ramsey (B660)		 J16 Yaxley A15
Stilton (B1043)
Start of motorway J17
Services		 Peterborough A1139
Wisbech (A47)
Northampton, Oundle A605
Peterborough services
Peterborough A1139
Wisbech (A47)
Northampton, Oundle A605
Peterborough services

Non-motorway traffic		 Road continues as A1 to Doncaster

The NORTH, Stamford A1

Doncaster By-Pass (Blyth to Skellow)

A1(M)
Route information
Part of E15
Maintained by Highways England
Length15.2 mi (24.5 km)
Existed1961–present
Major junctions
North endRed House, near Skellow
 
South endBlyth
Location
Primary
destinations		Doncaster, Wakefield, Rotherham, Barnsley
Road network

This fifteen mile section which runs from Skellow in South Yorkshire to Blyth in the far north of Nottinghamshire first opened in 1961 and was one of the first sections of motorway to be built in Britain; it is entirely two lanes in each direction. Between Junction 36 and 37 the motorway crosses the River Don on the Don Bridge.

Junctions

Data from driver location signs are used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information.[5]

A1(M) motorway junctions
km Southbound exits (B carriageway) Junction Northbound exits (A carriageway)
0.0 Road continues as A1 to Peterborough

The SOUTH, Newark A1
Nottingham (A614)		 J34
Services		 Bawtry A614
Doncaster Sheffield
Non-motorway traffic
Blyth services
Bawtry A614
Gainsborough (A631)
Doncaster Sheffield
Blyth services		 Start of motorway
12.0 M18
Sheffield (M1)
Scunthorpe (M180)
Doncaster Sheffield 		J35 Doncaster M18
Sheffield (M1)
Scunthorpe (M180)
Hull (M62)
14.9 Rotherham, Doncaster A630 J36 Rotherham, Doncaster A630
20.3 Doncaster, Barnsley A635 J37 Doncaster, Barnsley A635
24.4 Start of motorway J38 Wakefield A638
Doncaster, Wakefield A638
Non-motorway traffic		 Road continues as A1 to Darrington

The NORTH A1
Leeds (M62)

Skellow to Darrington (proposed)

There are proposals in place to upgrade the Skellow to Darrington section of the A1 to motorway, meaning the entire stretch of A1 from Blyth in Nottinghamshire to Washington in Tyne and Wear will be motorway-standard road.[6]

Darrington to Washington

A1(M)
Route information
Part of E15
Maintained by Highways England
Length98.6 mi (158.7 km)
Existed1965–present
HistoryConstructed 1965–2018
Major junctions
North endDarrington
 
J41 → M62 motorway

J43 → M1 motorway

J57 → A66(M) motorway

J65 → A194(M) motorway
South endBirtley
Location
Primary
destinations		Wetherby, Knaresborough, Ripon, Catterick, Scotch Corner, Darlington, Newton Aycliffe, Durham, Houghton le Spring, Chester-le-Street, Washington Road network
Road network
Wetherby Services on the A1(M).

This section opened in sections:

  • Walshford to 49 opened in 1995
  • Junctions 43 to 44 opened in 1999
When this section opened it ended at a temporary terminus south of the M1. There was a final exit into Micklefield Village for non-motorway traffic onto what is now the access road. During the first week of June 2009, Junctions 44 and 45 were renumbered to 43 and 44. At the same time the existing A1/A659 Grange Moor junction became A1(M) Junction 45.[7] As a result many atlases show incorrect junction numbering for this stretch of motorway.
  • Junction 46 to temporary junction at Walshford opened in 2005[8]
  • Junction 40 to south of 43 opened in 2005 & 2006
The northern section of the upgrade, bypassing Fairburn village, opened to traffic in April 2005 with a temporary connection with the existing A1 between Fairburn and Brotherton. The southern section, with a free-flow interchange with the M62 motorway, opened to traffic on 13 January 2006.
  • Junctions 44 to 46 opened in 2009[9]
  • Junctions 49 to 51 opened in 2011 & 2012
Work began in March 2009 to upgrade the Dishforth to Leeming section to dual 3-lane motorway standard with existing connections being replaced by two new junctions. The Dishforth to Baldersby Section (J49 to J50) was completed in October 2011[10] and the Baldersby to Leeming section (J50 to J51) was opened to traffic on 31 March 2012.
  • Junctions 51 to 56 opened in 2017 & 2018 - there are no junctions 54 and 55
Work on upgrading the Leeming Bar to Barton section to three-lane motorway began in April 2014. Work was expected to be completed by summer 2017.[11] In early 2017, the Highways Agency announced that the full opening would be delayed until December 2017.[12] In the end, the motorway opened up on 29 March 2018, making the A1 continuous motorway standard from Darrington, West Yorkshire, to Washington, Tyne and Wear, though residual works were still to be completed.[13]
  • Junctions 56 to 59 opened in 1965
  • Junctions 59 to 63 opened in 1969
  • Junctions 63 to 65 opened in 1970

Junctions

Data from driver location signs are used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information.[5]

A1(M) motorway junctions
km Southbound exits (B carriageway) Junction Northbound exits (A carriageway)
36.5 Road continues as A1 to Doncaster

The SOUTH A1
Doncaster (A638)		 J40 Hull (M62)
Pontefract A162 (A645)
Non-motorway traffic
Ferrybridge services
No access (on-ramp only) Start of motorway
41.1 Hull, Manchester M62
Ferrybridge services		 J41 Manchester, Leeds M62
46.7 Leeds, Selby A63 J42 Leeds, Selby A63
London, Leeds M1
Manchester (M62)		 J43 No access (on-ramp only)
55.3 York, Leeds (N) A64 J44 Leeds, York A64
57.2 Wetherby A168
Otley A659		 J45 Wetherby A168
Otley A659
York, Wetherby B1224
Wetherby services		 J46
Services		 Wetherby, York B1224
Wetherby services
79.3 York, Knaresborough, Harrogate, Leeds/Bradford A59 J47 Knaresborough, Harrogate, Leeds/Bradford , York A59
86.3 Boroughbridge A6055 J48 Boroughbridge A6055
Ripon (B6265)
Dishforth A168
95.2 Thirsk A168
Teesside (A19)		 J49 Thirsk A168
Teesside (A19)
102.8 Ripon, Thirsk A61 J50 Ripon, Thirsk A61
119.9 Northallerton, Leyburn A684
Bedale (B6285)		 J51 Northallerton, Bedale A6055 (A684)
Catterick A6055 (A6136) J52 Catterick A6055 (A6136)
Richmond A6055 (A6108)
Penrith, Brough A66
Scotch Corner services		 J53 Richmond A6055 (A6108)
Penrith, Brough A66
Scotch Corner services
Piercebridge B6275
Barton		 J56 Piercebridge B6275
Barton
No access (on-ramp only) J57 Darlington, Teesside, Teesside A66(M)
Corbridge, Darlington A68 J58 Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Corbridge A68
Newton Aycliffe, Darlington A167 J59 Newton Aycliffe A167
Bishop Auckland, Hartlepool, Teesside A689 J60 Bishop Auckland, Hartlepool, Teesside A689
Spennymoor, Bishop Auckland A688
Peterlee A177
Durham services		 J61
Services		 Spennymoor A688
Peterlee A177
Durham services
Sunderland, Durham A690
Consett (A691)		 J62 Sunderland, Durham A690
Consett (A691)
Chester-le-Street A167
Stanley A693		 J63 Chester-le-Street A167
Stanley A693
Washington (S) A195 J64 Washington, Birtley A195
Washington services Services Washington services
Start of motorway J65 Tyne Tunnel, South Shields A194(M)
Sunderland, Washington A1231
Non-motorway traffic		 Road continues as A1 to Edinburgh

Newcastle, Gateshead A1

References
  1. "The Motorway Archive. Oldest, widest, longest, highest". ciht.org.uk. 2008. Archived from the original on 22 January 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  2. "Renaming A1(m) to M1". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  3. The table was drawn up by reading values from the AA Route Planner for the journey Bank of England, London to Waverley Station, Edinburgh via Wittering. Adjustments were made for sections of the route that were not part of the A1."Route planner". AA. Archived from the original on 31 January 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  4. "A1(M) Alconbury to Peterborough Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) contract". Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  5. "Traffic England Live Traffic Condition Map". Locations extracted from Traffic Camera Popup identifier text. Highways Agency. p. 1. Archived from the original on 10 February 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  6. "Road investment strategy: north east and Yorkshire, 1 December 2014".
  7. "A1(M) Bramham to Wetherby". Highways Authority. Archived from the original on 27 June 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  8. "A1(M) Wetherby to Walshford". Highways Agency. Archived from the original on 30 August 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
  9. "A1(M) Bramham to Wetherby". Highways Agency. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
  10. "A1 Dishforth to Leeming Improvement Scheme (A1 Dishforth to Barton) Progress to Date". Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  11. "A1 Leeming to Barton Improvement". Highways Agency. Archived from the original on 30 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  12. Copeland, Alexa (14 April 2017). "Further six months of roadworks". Darlington & Stockton Times (2017–15). p. 13. ISSN 2040-3933.
  13. "Hitting the open road". The Northern Echo. 30 March 2018. p. 1. ISSN 2043-0442.

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