A505 road
Encyclopedia
The A505 is an A-class road in the United Kingdom
. It follows part of the route of the Icknield Way
and the corresponding Icknield Way Path
.
just south of Leighton Buzzard
on the Billington Road. From there it runs east along the route of the former Leighton Buzzard to Luton railway
through to a roundabout on the A5
just north of Dunstable
. From here it follows the A5 south into the town centre before turning east again towards Luton
. Entering the town across junction 11 of the M1 motorway
the road passes through the town
, passing through the town and adjoining Letchworth
, where as it leaves it becomes a dual carriageway again, crossing the A1(M) motorway
to the east of the town at Junction 9, before continuing past Baldock
to Royston
, crossing the A10 on its north-eastern edge.
at Junction 10 near Duxford
where once again it becomes dual carriageway and on towards the A11 at Great Abington about 8 miles (12.9 km) south-east of Newmarket.
near Luton Airport . The section between Letchworth and Royston follows the Icknield Way
, with the deviations of modern bypasses at Baldock and Royston. The £43 million Baldock bypass includes the Weston Hills Tunnel
.
Originally the route started in Dunstable and ended in Luton. The rest of the route was originally designated the A601 to the A11 , but was extended west to Wing Hill, near Linslade
, when the Leighton Buzzard bypass was built. However, the western Leighton Buzzard bypass has since been built and designated the A4146
. As a result the section from Billington Road to Wing Hill has also been designated the A4146
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It follows part of the route of the Icknield Way
Icknield Way
The Icknield Way is an ancient trackway in southern England. It follows the chalk escarpment that includes the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills.-Background:...
and the corresponding Icknield Way Path
Icknield Way Path
Icknield Way Path is a long distance footpath in East Anglia, England.It connects with: Angles Way, , Chiltern Way, , Hertfordshire Chain Walk, Hertfordshire Way, Lea Valley Walk, Peddars Way, Ridgeway, Roman Road Link, Stour Valley Path and Swan's Way....
.
Bedfordshire
The road begins as a wide single carriageway at a junction with the A4146A4146 road
The A4146 is an A-class road running through south-central England from M1 Junction 14 at Milton Keynes, around Linslade and Leighton Buzzard , and via Dagnall to Hemel Hempstead, where it terminates at a roundabout with the A4251.In Milton Keynes, the road briefly follows the H6 Childs Way from...
just south of Leighton Buzzard
Leighton Buzzard
-Lower schools:*Beaudesert Lower School - Apennine Way*Clipstone Brook Lower School - Brooklands Drive*Greenleas Lower School - Derwent Road*Dovery Down Lower School - Heath Road*Heathwood Lower School - Heath Road*Leedon Lower School - Highfield Road...
on the Billington Road. From there it runs east along the route of the former Leighton Buzzard to Luton railway
Dunstable Branch Lines
The Dunstable Branch Lines were railway branch lines that joined the English town of Dunstable to the main lines at Leighton Buzzard and Welwyn. The two lines were under separate ownership, and they joined just east of the Dunstable North station....
through to a roundabout on the A5
A5 road
The A5 is a major road in England and Wales. It is also the first Roman built road in England hence the name Roman Road. It runs for about from London, England to Holyhead, Wales, following in part a section of the Roman Iter II route which later took the Anglo-Saxon name Watling...
just north of Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
. From here it follows the A5 south into the town centre before turning east again towards Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
. Entering the town across junction 11 of the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
the road passes through the town
Hertfordshire
The road leaves Luton as a dual carriageway until HitchinHitchin
Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
, passing through the town and adjoining Letchworth
Letchworth
Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The town's name is taken from one of the three villages it surrounded - all of which featured in the Domesday Book. The land used was first purchased by Quakers who had intended to farm the...
, where as it leaves it becomes a dual carriageway again, crossing the A1(M) motorway
A1(M) motorway
The A1 is a motorway in England that upgrades sections of the A1 road that connects London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, with Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland...
to the east of the town at Junction 9, before continuing past Baldock
Baldock
Baldock is a historic market town in the local government district of North Hertfordshire in the ceremonial county of Hertfordshire, England where the River Ivel rises. It lies north of London, southeast of Bedford, and north northwest of the county town of Hertford...
to Royston
Royston, Hertfordshire
Royston is a town and civil parish in the District of North Hertfordshire and county of Hertfordshire in England.It is situated on the Greenwich Meridian, which brushes the towns western boundary, and at the northernmost apex of the county on the same latitude of towns such as Milton Keynes and...
, crossing the A10 on its north-eastern edge.
Cambridgeshire
The road continues as single carriageway roughly north-easterly, crossing the M11 motorwayM11 motorway
The M11 motorway in England is a major road running approximately north from the North Circular Road in South Woodford in north-east London to the A14, north-west of Cambridge.-Route:...
at Junction 10 near Duxford
Duxford
Duxford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, some ten miles south of Cambridge.-History:The village formed on the banks of the River Cam, a little below its emergence from the hills of north Essex...
where once again it becomes dual carriageway and on towards the A11 at Great Abington about 8 miles (12.9 km) south-east of Newmarket.
Bypasses
For part of its route between Leighton Buzzard and Dunstable it uses the former route of the Leighton Buzzard to Luton railway as far as Dunstable railway (The Leighton Buzzard bypass). It also shares its route with the A5 near Dunstable and the A1081A1081 road
The A1081 road in Hertfordshire, England broadly follows and replaces the former route of the A6 south of Luton in Bedfordshire.It runs from Luton Airport south via Harpenden to St Albans and then bears southeast via London Colney to High Barnet, where it meets the A1000 .The route was renumbered...
near Luton Airport . The section between Letchworth and Royston follows the Icknield Way
Icknield Way
The Icknield Way is an ancient trackway in southern England. It follows the chalk escarpment that includes the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills.-Background:...
, with the deviations of modern bypasses at Baldock and Royston. The £43 million Baldock bypass includes the Weston Hills Tunnel
Weston Hills Tunnel
The Weston Hills Tunnel is a 230m twin road tunnel under the Weston Hills near Baldock in Hertfordshire. It was constructed as part of the A505 Baldock bypass.A public inquiry was held in 1995, and in 2002 the government granted permission to build the road...
.
Originally the route started in Dunstable and ended in Luton. The rest of the route was originally designated the A601 to the A11 , but was extended west to Wing Hill, near Linslade
Linslade
Linslade is an English town, located on the Bedfordshire side of the Bedfordshire-Buckinghamshire border . It abuts onto the town of Leighton Buzzard with which it forms the civil parish of Leighton-Linslade. Linslade was transferred from Buckinghamshire in 1965, and was previously a separate...
, when the Leighton Buzzard bypass was built. However, the western Leighton Buzzard bypass has since been built and designated the A4146
A4146 road
The A4146 is an A-class road running through south-central England from M1 Junction 14 at Milton Keynes, around Linslade and Leighton Buzzard , and via Dagnall to Hemel Hempstead, where it terminates at a roundabout with the A4251.In Milton Keynes, the road briefly follows the H6 Childs Way from...
. As a result the section from Billington Road to Wing Hill has also been designated the A4146
A4146 road
The A4146 is an A-class road running through south-central England from M1 Junction 14 at Milton Keynes, around Linslade and Leighton Buzzard , and via Dagnall to Hemel Hempstead, where it terminates at a roundabout with the A4251.In Milton Keynes, the road briefly follows the H6 Childs Way from...
.