Catthorpe Interchange
Encyclopedia
The Catthorpe Interchange is a major intersection at the southern end of the M6
, the western end of the A14 and Junction 19 of the M1
near the village of Catthorpe
in Leicestershire, England. It was developed in 1994 when a link to the A14 was added to the pre-existing M1/M6 junction by joining the M1, M6 and A14 to the country lane between Catthorpe and Swinford
.
The interchange currently handles 100,000 vehicles per day, is overloaded and has a poor safety record. Traffic attempting to avoid the interchange causes congestion and nuisance in nearby towns and villages. The Highways Agency are understood to acknowledge that the layout of the interchange results in a serious accident problem, inconvenience for those wishing to travel between villages in the area and delays and congestion for both motorway and non-motorway traffic.
was created to handle the A14 traffic, and which is now grossly inadequate.
Prior to the junction with the A14 being created, there was a simple fork junction, opened in 1971, joining the M6 to the M1. At that stage traffic wishing to travel east left the M6 at junction 1 to join the A427 road
.
The interchange is now grossly overloaded. In the five years prior to March 2010, more than twelve people have been killed, and many more have been seriously injured in crashes at the interchange, dubbed as the 'mad mile'.
/Jacobs Babtie
and the Highways Agency started working with Skanska to prepare the plans for a Public Inquiry
. Public consultations were held in July 2008 and a preferred route was selected in 2009. In June 2010, as part of the government's budget cuts, the project was delayed until after 2015. This resulted in the planned public inquiry being postponed until closer to the construction date.
The preferred option was for a three level junction that would separate motorway/trunk road traffic from local traffic completely and provided limited interchange opportunities for through traffic:
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
, the western end of the A14 and Junction 19 of the M1
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...
near the village of Catthorpe
Catthorpe
Catthorpe is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It is close to the A5 road which forms the border with Warwickshire - the nearest town is Rugby, about four miles south-west. The parish had a population of 179 according to the 2001 census. The parish...
in Leicestershire, England. It was developed in 1994 when a link to the A14 was added to the pre-existing M1/M6 junction by joining the M1, M6 and A14 to the country lane between Catthorpe and Swinford
Swinford, Leicestershire
Swinford is a nucleated village and civil parish in the Harborough district of the English county of Leicestershire. It used to be on the former A427, which led under the M1, to Catthorpe. The local pub is The Chequers on the High Street. The parish church is All Saints.- External links :* *...
.
The interchange currently handles 100,000 vehicles per day, is overloaded and has a poor safety record. Traffic attempting to avoid the interchange causes congestion and nuisance in nearby towns and villages. The Highways Agency are understood to acknowledge that the layout of the interchange results in a serious accident problem, inconvenience for those wishing to travel between villages in the area and delays and congestion for both motorway and non-motorway traffic.
History
The interchange was created in 1994 to join the newly established A14 east-west trunk road, which is part of the Trans European Road Network, with the existing M1 and M6 motorways. A non-standard layout was adopted and a sub-standard dumb-bell roundaboutRoundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
was created to handle the A14 traffic, and which is now grossly inadequate.
Prior to the junction with the A14 being created, there was a simple fork junction, opened in 1971, joining the M6 to the M1. At that stage traffic wishing to travel east left the M6 at junction 1 to join the A427 road
A427 road
The A427 road is a major road in the English Midlands. It connects the Leicestershire town of Market Harborough and the A6 with the Northamptonshire town of Oundle and the A605.-History:...
.
The interchange is now grossly overloaded. In the five years prior to March 2010, more than twelve people have been killed, and many more have been seriously injured in crashes at the interchange, dubbed as the 'mad mile'.
M1 Jct 19 Improvement Scheme
By 1998 the government recognised that the intersection was a bottle-neck in the strategic highway network and suffering serious safety and congestion problems. In March 2005 the contract for the planning, design, management and construction of the scheme through the Statutory Procedures from preparation of draft Orders to completion of construction was awarded to SkanskaSkanska
Skanska AB, is a multinational construction and development company based in Sweden, where it also is the largest construction company. The company's head office is in Solna, north of Stockholm.-History:...
/Jacobs Babtie
Jacobs Engineering Group
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., a publicly traded company with over 50,000 employees and 2010 revenues of nearly $10 billion, provides technical, professional, and construction services globally. Headquartered in Pasadena, California, it was founded in 1947 by Dr. Joseph J. Jacobs. Jacobs offers...
and the Highways Agency started working with Skanska to prepare the plans for a Public Inquiry
Public inquiry
A Tribunal of Inquiry is an official review of events or actions ordered by a government body in Common Law countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland or Canada. Such a public inquiry differs from a Royal Commission in that a public inquiry accepts evidence and conducts its hearings in a more...
. Public consultations were held in July 2008 and a preferred route was selected in 2009. In June 2010, as part of the government's budget cuts, the project was delayed until after 2015. This resulted in the planned public inquiry being postponed until closer to the construction date.
The preferred option was for a three level junction that would separate motorway/trunk road traffic from local traffic completely and provided limited interchange opportunities for through traffic:
- M1 south to A14 east - but not to M6 north
- M1 north to M6 west - but not to A14
- M6 south to M1 south and A14 east - but not to M1 north
- A14 west to M1 north - but not to M1 south
- A14 west to M6 north
Further reading
- M1 Jct 19 Improvement Scheme Highways Agency
- Model of proposal development (OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Two major driving forces behind the establishment and growth of OSM have been restrictions on use or availability of map information across much of the world and the advent of inexpensive portable GPS devices.The...
)