Highways Agency

The Project

This section of the A1 forms part of the strategic route between London and Edinburgh as well as providing a trunk road link to principal towns.

Traffic flows on the A1 in this area are currently in the order of 83,000 vehicles per day. This number is expected to rise to approximately 135,000 vehicles per day in about 20 years time.

Congestion encourages drivers to avoid the trunk route, bringing pollution and noise into local towns and villages and making residential roads more dangerous.

On the 25th June 2002 the Minister for Transport announced a package of improvements on the A1 which included a scheme to upgrade 10km (6 miles) of the A1 between the A64 Bramham Crossroads and Wetherby to a dual three-lane motorway.

At an estimated scheme cost of £68m the scheme will reduce congestion, substantially improve journey times and safety on this heavily used section of the A1.

The Public Inquiry 

A Public Inquiry into the objections to the Orders was held from Tuesday 31 January to Thursday 9th February 2006 at the Bridge Inn, Walshford. The Inspector reported his findings and the Secretary of State's decision was announced on 16 November 2006. The Inspector's Report and Secretary of State’s decision can be viewed on the DfT website.

The Secretary of State's decision required the Highways Agency to consult further on proposed modifications to the Wetherby Grange Bridge, and Walton Road.  These consultations were completed in January 2007 and a further Secretary of State's decision was made on 3 April 2007.

The Secretary of States decision on the remaining Orders for this scheme can be viewed on the DfT website.

Under Construction

The main construction works started on 30 April 2007, with a programmed completion date of Summer 2009.

Bad weather affected construction progress in the May to July 2007 period but improved conditions at the end of 2007, and earlier in 2008, allowed the contractor to make up time.

During the upgrade it has been necessary to close the A1 overnight on Saturdays on a number of occassions to demolish old and construct new bridges at Wetherby Grange and Walton Road. The old Wetherby Grange bridge was demolished completely in one weekend overnight possession of the A1 in June 2008. The old Walton Road bridge was demolished in 3 stages over separate closures of the A1 in November and December 2008. During the closures a diversion route using the new local access road between Grange Moor and Walton Road was used to bypass the works.

Update

From mid February 2009 the newly constructed southbound motorway carriageway near Wetherby has been used for 2 x 2 lane contra-flow. This traffic arrangement operated for approximately 10 weeks while the new northbound motorway carriageway and the new local access road around Wetherby were constructed. The new local access road bypass of Wetherby opened to traffic on Wednesday 8 April 2009. The contra-flow on the A1 southbound carriageway was lifted on Friday 1 May. A1 traffic is now running on lanes 2 and 3 on both north and southbound motorway carriageways while motorway communications cabling and equipment are installed.

Details of the temporary traffic arrangements and road closures were given in the news release dated 11 February found in publications.

During the week beginning the 1 June 2009, Junction numbering of the A1 at Hook Moor and Bramham crossroads changed to ensure that junction numbering along this section south of Wetherby run in sequence. The changes are as follows:

• The A1(M)/M1 Hook Moor junction number changed from 44 to 43;
• The A1(M)/A64 Bramham Crossroads junction number changed from 45 to 44;
• The existing A1/A659 Grange Moor junction became A1(M) Junction 45;
• The existing A1/B1224 Kirk Deighton junction will remain A1(M) Junction 46.

This information remains correct as of 23 June 2009.