New Junction on the A1 at Grantham
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- čas přidán 10. 01. 2023
- #lincolnshire #grantham #infrastructure
Whilst driving around.. as I tend to do, I've noticed over the last few months the progress of a new junction on the A1. I wanted to know what the deal was... why do we need a new junction, what's its purpose and how long has it all been going on.
In this video, I set out to find the answers to things you weren't asking. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I'm a lorry driver. Our yard is right next to the junction and can be seen in the aerial footage. This junction sees a lot of use from us and external drivers accessing our yard, prior to opening if we were coming from thd North or west, we would either have to drive through the town centre or take a 12 mile detour on the A1 to colsterworth. I'd argue that this has already taken a lot of vehicles out of Grantham.
A bit like Hindhead tunnel and A3 did for Hindhead
@@Dan23_7 That didn't do too well for the café at the punch bowl car park remember when that was an old bus as a Tea/Burger Van. Parents always pulled up there on the way to the beach at Southsea mainly to let the car cool down after the climb up.
Tony S that's a long way from Southsea
@@john07973 .... that would be relative to their start point surely ?
sw maybe I'm a bit odd but Grantham and Southsea are 200 miles apart
Thanks for covering this one John, just spent 3 years of my life on the construction of Phase 2 and 3, of which has been good learning curve to be honest.
Phase 3 was due to open this year but due to ground failure on the east side where the abutment was due to be constructed, the bridge has now undergone a redesign and will be another 80m longer than the original design, with many many piles to support the abutment rather than relying on the strength of the ground.
I've got many photos of various stages of construction if you were interested, including exposed piles supporting the A1 overbridge itself.
I like the idea of the ground just failing. Like it shrugged and thought it couldn't be arsed to be the ground anymore.
@@mrc7478 I've had days like that tbh
@@mrc7478there is a type of "ground" called Loess which, if it gets too wet, can very easily crumble or dissolve to nothing. There's a lot of it in China. If you build you have to take especial care to deal with rainwater run off from roofs, otherwise the ground can literally disappear from beneath your footings.
@@abarratt8869 I'm Loessed for words. Thanks
& I had some minor involvement in Phase 1, resurfaced some of it at least four times as the council weren't happy with it. It got worse on every successive occasion.
Genuinely quality reporting on the facts we need to know. Also I have a feeling know where the next meeting of "Cars without exhuasts" will be held :)
I live in Grantham and can’t wait for this project to be completed, it will make a huge difference to take out all the passing lorries and trucks from going through the town. It really needed it and will be really good. Love the channel and a fan btw.
They seem to be doing better than Newark's southern link road which is also part of a growth point scheme. So far it's taken them 1.6 billion years to build part of the first phase. Currently it looks like they're starting on the roundabout that will finally link it to the A1 flyover next to the new (exciting!) service area. The developers have managed to build a bunch of houses* though.
* The kind of brand-new houses where the curtain poles fall off the wall if you try and hang curtains from them (genuinely, this is true)
This is definitively the most important channel on all of CZcams. All the other content pales by comparison. Becoming a subscriber to AUTO SHAGGINTONS was truly the proudest moment of my life. We celebrated with our extended family at the village hall. The cider flowed and the merriment was sublime. The event cost me thousands, but it was worth every farthing. This chap must be made a Knight of the Realm for his devoted, unselfish service to humanity. As I sit and type this I weep tears of gratitude. In all my life I never knew I could obtain such a profound understanding of the UK motorway system.
The world needs more dry humour, not everyone gets it
@M W: All that effort and your comment didn't even get a ♥from Auto Shannonagains... Wait, what did you say? 🤣
@@musicismytherapy4936 It can't be dry humour if their's tears.
I thought you were an Ass😘er to start off with.😂
Thanks about the first Diesel (oil) engined road vehicles ( or off road for the little tractor unit ). something I didnt know about, or know that I needed to know about.
John hope you are do well. Thank you for continuing to make videos when everyone else seems to be taking a break. Your definitely making my days better in a bit of a low point in my life. So thanks man!
Thanks for this. I watched the construction from inception as I drove lorries down to London at least twice a week.
After retiring in October. I didn't get to see the final result but may well take a run down.
That bit of hill up to there heading south will always hold a place in my heart, as it's where my Turbo decided to eat itself, and I had an interesting couple of minutes careering down the other side running on engine oil!
@2:40 I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking it'd make a sweet racetrack.
Glad you covered this, when travelling up the A1, or any major road I always have a curiosity what a large construction project is, but by the time I arrive at my destination, forget to look it up. This is just one of those, many thanks for answering.
Coincidently drove past this today on the A1 and wondered what it was all about so thanks very much for the explanation 🙂
We have also been in the top 10 for lorry bridge strikes since i can remember. The 3 bridges we have are popular with lorry drivers. The bypass will help divert traffic away from the bridges.
Love the 'Phase 1 &2 - Completed it mate' never change your sense of humour in these videos, John!
I did my motorbike test in Grantham back around '06 and it was already a nightmare then. Last time I drove down the A1 there had been alot of improvements had been made already and was another world away from the old road. Good on Grantham and good on a government actually allocating funds to things that aren't in London (or peoples back pockets).
Excellent video Jon. Hopefully keeping the traffic out of Graham and away from the low railway bridge will massively reduce congestion.
I spoke to graham the other day, He’s delighted with the change
Building new roads tends to move congestion, rather than reduce it.
I've seen this road being constructed when I've been on the train to and from London. I often wondered what it was about so thanks for that
Thanks for this! I semi regularly drive between Norfolk and Nottingham. Sometimes I take the A17 and A52 and thus have to drive through Grantham town centre. Sometimes I take the A47 and A1 and as such noticed this new junction being made. It baffled me, seemingly being in the middle of nowhere and serving no purpose, I figured it was going to be a new industrial area, which I see is somewhat true but not the whole story. This also explains the work and new junction at the roundabout south of Grantham, which will connect the two. Although with all the signs for "quarry traffic" I had just assumed that was all just quarry related. Had no idea about the new southern bypass. I look forward to its completion!
Hoping I've found someone else who has an immense hatred of the A17 here.
@@tomj.I don't actually mind it too much, unless something happens like the Anglian Water van I was following recently doing 42mph. I eventually got past him on the dual carriageway leading up to Holdingham roundabout.
@@tomj. As a boy in the 1950s I knew the A17 as the old windy windy. It went through many villages as well as Skeaford. Although it didnt cross the railway there an train passing through Sleaford would bring the whole town to a halt. Things are much better now though far from perfect. It will be interesting to see if the Grantham southern bypass when it opens has any effect on traffic on the A17 between Newark and Swineshead.
It will be a great help someone who travels norfolk to just south of Newark and able to avoid Grantham great work .
Love this ❤ would absolutely love to see a video on the absolutely chaotic roundabout in rushden Northamptonshire that crosses the a6 and a45. Would love to see your take on it 😊
Any new road design that requires traffic lights should be canned. Immediately.
I used to go through Grantham a lot and this will be a plus for anyone trying to get around it.
Thanks for covering this, didn't expect it given it's fairly local to me. Living in around the Sleaford area for years and going south on the A1 to London has always involved me going on the B6403 to get to the A1, once the entire link road is complete then maybe I'll take the new A52 route. Although the views and scenery probably wont be as good, but maybe, just maybe faster.
I've never been overly keen on the B6403, especially at night or coming back (when I'm getting tired), I usually do the extra few miles and go up to Grantham for the B1174 and go past the barracks and up the High Dyke, I've gotta be in the mood for the B6403. But definitely once they get that viaduct built, it'll make heading south so much easier from the Sleaford/Boston areas.
phase 3 already changed so much , a 5th bridge pillar added as the ground is a bit wet. Delayed as they found plans for the road when dug up so roman stuff, the last time anyone knew how to build a road properly :)
Happy new Year another great Video thank you.
I like this sort of snappy info type shorter video.
Also like the fact someone might have got an E36 compact sideways.
I live just south of here in Stamford, will have to check this out 😀
Also Stamford's 3 slip roads onto the A1 (B1081-new bridge but still short slip road, A6121 & A606) are old from the 1960's and very short and dangerous in rush hour!
Didn't expect this! I'm quite local and desperately need phase 3 to be finished so I don't have to go all the way to Colsterworth to get onto the A1 northbound safely (the Ponton junctions are ridiculously dangerous) and Grantham takes ages to get through at rush hour.
Have already been down the junction even though it's a bit pointless in its current state.
Also Grantham taking credit for Isaac Newton is a bit cheeky, he lived in Colsterworth, not Grantham.
but studied in Grantham ;)
Oh man I hate the Ponton junctions. But sometimes I will drive through Great Ponton and join the A1 there to avoid Grantham. Well, I used to, but fuck that junction for joining. I do still sometimes leave the A1 there if I'm going in the opposite direction though.
@@PiousMoltar Haha. Recently I was going from Spalding back to Newark, and Waze directed me via Great Ponton, presumably to avoid some traffic on the A17. So I had to turn right onto the A1, at rush hour, in the dark, in torrential rain. Super fun.
@@jwalker7567 I'd never been that way before so I didn't know what was waiting for me! I think I assumed it was going to take me onto the A1 at Colsterworth via Bourne. I won't make that mistake again!
I've never been overly keen on the B6403, especially at night or coming back (when I'm getting tired), I usually do the extra few miles and go up to Grantham for the B1174 and go past the barracks. Once they get that viaduct built, it'll make heading south so much easier from the Sleaford/Boston areas. I agree on the Pontons junctions and the others between Grantham and Colsterworth, they are very dangerous and should be abolished, either get a bridge or two over the most used junctions or force people to loop back at Grantham or Colsterworth, I refuse to use those junctions, it's usually so busy too that you're sat there 10 mins, and you could've gone up to and passed through Grantham by the time you can get across.
Short and sweet (like my pool game ) two shot game over lol .excellent as usual Chris x
Great work John. Very enjoyable 👍
it's by far the highest standard junction on that stretch of the A1 - the rest of it is like going back in time to 1960, when tiny grade separated junctions with 90 degree sliproads, right turns across the central reservation, and property accesses on the main carriageway were considered acceptable on trunk roads
(I've driven it many times en route between Yorkshire and Ipswich, both in a car and on a 600 cc bike; it's the most stressful part of the drive)
There's nothing wrong with the old A1
@@Jimbo-gi7xn people have been killed at Ponton
Looks like a great bit of road - thanks for the info
Great video and I would love if you could make more about road projects around the country, maybe one about the Worcester southern link road or however unlikely a video about a Hereford bypass that’s been continuously proposed and cancelled for a couple decades now?
Visited this evening. Great little junction.
Today I had a trundle down the A1 from the M62, 84 miles of unadulterated dual carriageway to Stamford.
Now I’m in a Hilton travel lodge on the A14 near Colchester for the night.
JPH thank you for these facts, you’re the dogs 👍🏼
A14 is nowhere near Colchester! Are you lost?
@@jgcracknell Fk sake A12 😂
I’ve been up since 4.30, well that’s my excuse 😂
nice unexpected interlude! Many thanks John
The old northbound entry from Foston was fantastic - first the mad dash across the southbound lane to the central reservation, and then pull directly into the northbound lanes - no slip, just wheels spinning and hoping your first-car shitbox doesn't stall out as you take off. I've nearly died several times with my Gran, who would take art least 15 minutes to get up to her maximum motorway speed of ~60mph. Deadly!
Local Molly Marshall (a school mates Mum) campaigned successfully for a road between Long Bennington and Foston in order to get rid of this dangerous section, and the crossing (along with the old slip road to Foston) was closed off. This new road was named "Marshall Way" in her honour.
You can still see the remnants of both the old slip road off the A1 to Foston and the A1 crossing, sadly can’t share the link.
One summer night during construction of the new road I was cycling back from The Reindeer in Bennington to our then-home in Foston. I took the new road rather than riding down the A1, and good job too as clearly I'd had one too many - one of those plastic orange meshes/nets appeared out of the dark, which I promptly crashed into and painfully sprawled myself across the part-completed road surface.
Molly Marshall didn't happen to be a teacher, did she? I used to work with someone of the same name at a school in Newark.
@@Zeem4 quite possibly - not very tall, curly hair? She came across a little fierce to 13 year old me, but I expect if I knew her as an adult I'd have liked her a lot!
@@danpacey That certainly sounds like the same person to me!
Top marks for using the theme from "North City" in Gran Turismo 2!
Love your channel. Can I give you a couple of ideas for future material? The m62 at Liverpool. It ends at what is known as the Rocket because of the pub that is there. It ends at j4 because it was meant to go right into the city of Liverpool. That would be a good video for you to cover possibly. Also the similar story of the m23 which also ends prematurely.
I have been working on this site for well over 2 years. been interesting to see it grow from a hole in the ground to what it is now
Not far down the road from me in Newark, driven past the works countless times. Re Spittlegate, that was also the name of the RAF base there too, now home to an Army Reserve base.
By far the best channel on CZcams.... love this guy!
Went over that junction today heading from Peterborough up to Dunfermline. Always wondered the exact reason/why/wherefore/layouts etc for these sorts of projects.. I get about a bit so have seen the ongoing progress of this very project from beginning to ‘end’(ish)
A new junction has opened on the M11 too, between Harlow and Stansted Airport, it confused the heck out of me! I panicked trying to figure out where I was, thinking I was about to miss my exit while also thinking how can I be there already!?
Another excellent and informative Video Mate.
Once the new link road cut across to the a52 from said junction it’ll be sweet 👍🏻👍🏻
Great video as always
Having been up and down the A1 a lot, I was wondering about this junction, too.
thats so funny as i was lit thinking that slip road off the a1 has a sick angle and id love to see someone go side ways on it haha
Keep them coming John!!
Very factual and well presented Jon, your not auditioning to bring back old factual top gear by any chance?! As always fantastic video, footage and editing too.
😂 exactly that I was thinking - will make a great drift track!
My Grandad bought a VW Passat from Spitalgate Motors in Grantham in 1983. Brings back memories…
Rotten Borough is a superb satire about local authority. By Oliver Anderson, pen name Julian Pine, 1937. Based on Grantham, when Thatcher's father would have been a substantial local figure. Banned shortly after publication. Republished in the 1980s when I got it and gave it to my father-in-law who absolutely loved it - he came from Grantham, would have been late 20s when it came out, so he remembered the scenario clearly. Nearly bust a gut laughing and recalling related incidents and individuals
Any reduction of traffic between the A52 and the A1 will be replaced by traffic from the 10,000 new homes the council wants built. The area where they want the housing only has 2 routes into the town which is regularly grid locked as it is.
By the way the name’s nothing to do with a farm, the area was called Spitalgate (Spittlegate) before being incorporated into the town.
It’s from (Ho)Spitalgate with gate being a corruption of “gata”, the Danish for “route to” and the “hospital” being a religious house of “hospitality” on the Great North Road which became a leper hospital.
It's nice to find out that the southern parts of Lincolnshire are getting some new and upgraded infrastructure. Shame about the north of the county where it is just a question of building thousands of horrid boxlike houses and McMansions on every patch of AONB land the government can bully out of the district councils. Schools, roads, hospitals be damned.
It's to help with the flow of traffic going through Grantham. Yes there were doubts about this,but it's coming along nicely.I am from Grantham as I was born here in 1979. That's also why the M.O.D had sold Grantham's Army base,Prince William of Glocester Barraks
Another bonus episode! The A1 has massively changed / improved during my lifetime and now very few roundabouts remain on the major dual carriageway sections however I wasn’t aware of this new junction… clearly I haven’t travelled that way much in recent years!
Pretty sure that once past the Black Cat, next roundabout is Berwick on Tweed
best not to travel that as grantham is a shit hole for driving
A piece on the A30 Exeter to Lands End would be cool one day.
Oh My!
Definitely looks like a good Motorsports venue. A much better use use of the otherwise wasted fresh tarmac! 😻
Down our way, in the great county of Essex we pronounce the stream of letters quoted as Wit-ham, just a local anomaly! Thanks for otherwise great content Dave
2:39 Nope, definitely wasn't thinking that... 👀
And RAF Spittlegate was where I did the 5/6 day (rain stopped some play) glider training course as a 16-yo ATC cadet. DId my 3 solo flights launched from a bungee.
Thought I'd get that in. Only remarkable point for Grantham imo
What a lot of work for something that may never happen. Nice report Bob
well needed junction. in the past i have spent years just getting through grantham to get to nottingham.
An little factoid for you - Richard Hornsby & Sons never built a engine. Hornsby made "heavy oil" engines as developed by Herbert Akroyd Stuart, based on paraffin. It just so happens that Dr. Diesel developed his "heavy oil" engine around the same time. Hornsby & Son, and latterly Ruston-Hornsby, staunchily labelled their engines as "heavy oil" despite burning the same fuel as we now call diesel oil.
As a trucker myself, this is a very welcome solution for any traffic travelling East/West along the A52 (as I have done myself - recently too!)
Doubly so as it will bypass the low bridges in Grantham (for any double stacker drivers) and make their town centre far safer and quieter.
That is a very visually satisfying junction.
Looks a reasonably well-designed junction unlike the existing A52 junction which looks like it was designed in the days when people learnt how to double declutch and minis were small, British and the latest thing on the road. When phase 3 opens more traffic is likely to be routed via a section of the A1 which already suffers from congestion. I see below Great Ponton mentioned. Whatever happened to the plans to convert the A1 to D3M which stopped at Peterborough. I've heard it said that the anti-road protestors' aim to make road building as difficult and expensive as possible is one reason for this. Did anyone consider public safety and sections like that at Great Ponton?
You're such a lefty, I wondered how you'd manage to stay nice when covering Grantham. You did it in a acceptable manner 👏
Spittal in a place name usually signifies a place where lepers were living and cared for in medieval times .Usually away from towns etc. May have been a hospital site run by monks .
Thanks for another great video, John.
2:06 - looks like even the people doing promotional CGI videos for road schemes have rubbish lane discipline at roundabouts theses days. I suppose it's not really dangerous though - looks like they didn't have enough computing resources to program in any conflicting traffic to crash into!
That doesn‘t look like CGI to me, just like a bumper-mounted camera.
Woah there!!! Isaac Newton was from 'Woolsthorpe by Colsterworth'. I can see his house from my bedroom window. Please, let us not sully his good name with any association with Grantham!
Yep, driving phase 1 and 2 are a bit quiet. Apparently additional funding for phase 3, the bridge over the valley, is being debated soon, as it needs an extra £20million or so, because initial start of one side of the bridge was found to be less safe than originally 'found', so it needs moving slightly.
Oh wonderful... We can add a few years onto the completion date then :D
There's is also a new road called Olympus way ( A6135)in Barnsley that links up Sheffield Rd to the a61 and then up with the M1 at J36 was built for a new Evri distribution hub that been built there there have to close part of Sheffield Rd to do it and route on to then turn right if it to join back on to Sheffield Rd at a mini roundabout
i love your honesty
Ooh, tractors!
Nice start to a video.
I like a good dumbbell junction, almost as good as a trumpet junction ! Thanks for that !
Is that like the one on the A1 just up from the M25?
I was wondering when it was going to open, nice
Was suppose to be later this year, but soft ground where the viaduct goes over the ECML railway line meant new plans had to be submitted to extend the bridge, so it's been delayed until 2025 now, but at least the phase road is now open and traffic coming from the east on the A52 can turn left at McDonalds and use the new junction to go north.
It feels like you were talking to me when you mentioned the E36 Compact.
@Tango_sixteen No. I've just got an E36 Compact.
Wait! Erm... What? It's not Sunday is it? Where am I? What day is it? I only had an afternoon nap I thought... (Checks day on 'phone)
... Phew! It's a midweek upload. Thanks John mate! But steady on old chap. I nearly had kittens!
How the devil are you have you had a good week? 😉
@@bobblebardsleyBetter now I've checked the date & time Bob! It's these horrible deep winter's days. When you look out of the window it's always as black as pitch out there.
Look at the clock... It's six o'clock. So is that AM or PM? No way of telling without going online!
I must start setting an alarm 🤔
I think that the new A52 Grantham Southern Bypass is scheduled to be completed next year with a new bridge to pass over the ECML and River Witham. You could do A508 Roade as it’s to have a new bypass and is schedule to be completed by the end of this year.
I thought the Roade bypass was done already? perhaps not!
Nice one John.
Its to ease the traffic congestion in Grantham that are heading from Nottingham to Skegness and vice versa, make it easier for large goods vehicles too, for them to get through they are met by awkward train bridges(about 3), some sometimes get stuck as they don't read the height of the bridges, the bypass will let them avoid all that and also allowing holiday makers going to skeggy not block the roads in the town up so much with there caravans. At some point in the future the A52 between nottingham and skegness will be all dual carriageway
And again, used to travel through Grantham when living in Nottingham/Derby … ( yes I know they’re two distinct cities, but I was equidistant between the two, just off the A52). Welcome relief, I’m sure!
keep up the good work, i thought it was sunday mid day, my illness mess,s with my head but your good work keeps me sane. i miss a good m/w thanks again, you getting thier on the subs🚐
You should head to the A12 currently having some major development works with some amazing technology being used moving roads after they had being built.
Does that politician (name escapes me!) at 0:37 look a lot like Tom Scott? Oh, thanks for not mentioning the Iron Lady either!! ;-)
This is for a new secret Highways Agency depot so they can deploy very quickly to the scene and cone off lanes if someone has thrown an empty Coke can and Crisp packet
I wondered what an earth they where doing there .... Now I know ... Thanks 👍
Exciting times for Grantham! 😎
@Tango_sixteen Too right! I blame the Saxons, Huguenots and the beaker folk from Neolithic times. Albanians join the queue.
I want see you do one on the m25 you can always see the surrounding area as your always in traffic
All the roundabouts north of Peterborough to Newcastle have been removed on the A1 now. None of them to the south!
Down the road from me this, it seems an age since its started. 70mph now tho, average cameras have gone, until you hit great ponton/ colsterworth. Im sure at some point theres gonna be huge retail outlet.
It's planned to go opposite the Galliford Try compound. B&K did a PR exercise in 2021 to say it was starting but has since gone back to nature
@@simonfoster8170 thats interesting, does it have anything to do with the bridge and road being build just before you go down the hill into Grantham? You know where the car garages are and industrial estate is as you exit little ponton?
@@jlcgaming8178 I don't know to be honest mate, I was only involved in the GSRR construction. They might have done it just to put a shovel in the ground before planning permission ran out but just a guess
So many roundabouts on such a short length of road (the southern Bypass) and a further two at the A1 junction itself! Almost any other European country, even former communist ones, would have had all grade separated junctions and a free flow junction with the A1; but not Britain. We always adopt euphemistically called 'value engineering' i.e. as cheap as possible, regardless of the long term inconvenience and, in this mad period of obsession with 'net zero', the inevitably increased fuel consumption in negotiating the roundabouts.
I wondered what they was building there. Every time I've driven past usually late at night it has been blocked off. Didn't know it opened up recently and it was lit up and I wondered what it was all about. Well now I know
I can confirm, Grantham's transport links heavily need improving. I can't drive I'm just interested in tis sort of stuff, however having lived nearby sort of for 7 years growing up from yer 8 to uni, my god was it difficult to get anywhere in one of the biggest counties going. So it should be getting better, and I hope it does.
Also this A52 extension will be so handy because we use the B6403 I think it is so often just to get to the A1 going south, Very fun road to drive swerving all the potholes but not great as a main route, and heading through Grantham just makes it even worse so yeah
Love your films and style of presenting. I hope you have much success! 👍🤞.
I noticed the E38 735 on your wall. Are you a fan?
Cheers mate. Yes I've got a 1999 735, it doesn't get driven all that much these days.
@@AutoShenanigans A man of taste. I had a 1982 735i. Loved it.
From the look of the signs there will be a new weight restriction implemented through grantham after phase 2 is completed
Also there are a fair few low bridges in grantham that get hit alot
And they are building the NEW Grantham Designer Outlet
Never mind this. When are they going to remove the 50mph stretch on the A1 at Elkesley? And preferably the village itself, as punishment.
Yes you did read my mind thinking it would be a perfect place to go sideways in an e36 😂😂