A14 - A14 - A141
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Ordnance Survey map - Alternative aerial view
Where is it?
The point where a recently built and vitally important east-west link, the A14, meets a spur from the A1 allowing access between the A14 to the east and the A1 to the north.
What's wrong with it?
Quite aside from the fact that three arms of this four-way junction are numbered A14 (the fake one is the one to the north, which is a four mile spur to the A1 further north), this junction gets its priorities all wrong. The main flow of traffic is on the A14 between the east and west, meaning that most traffic has to negotiate the roundabout. Coming westbound, there are huge gantry signs to alert motorists to the fact they have to turn off at this exit to stay on the same road. If you look closely at the aerial photo, you can see the problems this causes - the photo actually shows traffic backing up on the A14 to the east and the westbound off-slip.
Why is it wrong?
The A14 is a new road, but rather than being new build (aside from a few short bits) it's mostly cobbled together out of bits of other road. This section used to be the A604 (under the roundabout) which at the time took the main traffic flow. When the A14 came, it needed to turn off the A604 alignment and head west, but the junction wasn't altered.
What would be better?
It's hard to say, but there are lots of ideas floating around. The government's multi-modal study reccommends a whole new A14 alignment that avoids Huntingdon and this whole mess by a good few miles.
Right to Reply
E-mail me with your comments.
John Mohan replies:
My main gripe with this junction is the wider area A1 - A14 junction. North of the junction is a standard grade-separate 'Y' junction. Travelling south on the A1(M) the signs are for "LONDON (C & W) A1, LONDON (E) (M11)".
Harwich and Felixstowe East Coast Ports via A14 are not signed until the southerly A1/A14 junction requiring traffic to use two roundabouts and a two mile detour rather than a simple Y junction [and adding to the congestion at this junction].
When raised with the Highways Agency, the reply was along the lines of additional signage could confuse drivers.
Matthew Clements adds:
It is a dreadful junction - frequent lorries overturning because the south east corner tightens up on you, and very poor lane signage, so people get in the left lane to turn right when going west-east [on the A14]. There are regular queues, especially on the A141.
Keith Mason writes:
This junction is a total nightmare. I once ended up driving round in circles after this junction trying to work out if I was lost or not (thanks to the farmer's bridge ;).
Really needs rebuilding so you don't have to turn off to stay on the same road!
George Carty has a novel idea:
The A14 west of this junction leading to the M1 and M6 is essentially a replacement for the old A45, thus solving the "three A14's" problem here?
Andrew Frith finds an excuse:
According to the Highways Agency and CHUMMS, major improvements to the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon will involve improvements to Girton interchange and the total bypassing of Spitals interchange, with a new junction with the A1 provided south of Brampton Hut. Thus both junctions might be excusable in the 7 or so years they expect the scheme to be completed.
Chris Cowdery spots the confusion:
The major problem with this junction is when travelling from west to east. The green signs and the road markings give differing information about whether the A14 is straight over or right. And this is compounded by people going straight over from the right hand lane and turning right from the left hand lane. The number of near misses I see is extraordinary.
Tom Yarwood thinks things might be improving:
The Highways Agency have recently installed lights at this junction. I'm fortunate not to have to use this at peak times but it does seem to be mentioned less on travel reports now. Have things improved? It strikes me that they have missed an obvious trick here. One of the main traffic movements here is actually one of the easiest to cater for. A free flow link from the northbound A14 (from M11) onto the westbound direction (towards M1/M6) would by-pass the roundabout with its lights, removing the frustrating and dangerous queues on the slip road. I imagine the reason for not doing this (apart from cost) is that to access the nearby business park from the west you have to do a full circuit of the roundabout. You would then have to fight your way across such a free flow slip road if it were built. The access to this should never have been put so close to the roundabout. As for east/southbound traffic you will just have to wait to 2010? 2012? ...for something which should have been done in 1994.
With thanks to Darren Clarke for information on this page.
