Big step forward at Catthorpe Interchange improvement in Leicestershire as key link road opens
Thousands of drivers heading from the A14 to the M6 will have much better journeys as a new link road opens at the Catthorpe Interchange later this week.
A14 to M6 westbound traffic will be moved onto the new link road as part of the M1 junction 19 Catthorpe improvement scheme; the link road means those drivers do not need to use the interchange roundabouts, removing a significant proportion of the traffic at this bottle-neck and improve the journeys for some of the 142,000 vehicles that pass through the junction every day.
The road will open overnight on Friday 16 October, meaning drivers heading west on the A14 will use a newly built structure to pass beneath the M1 and onto the M6 from Saturday 17 October.
Ivan Marriott, Highways England project manager, said:
The opening of the new A14 to M6 westbound link road is a big step forward in this scheme, and one that will see drivers starting to feel a real difference when passing through the junction.
I’d like to remind drivers to drive carefully as they get used to this new link and to stick to the speed limit to keep themselves and our road workers safe.
The scheme, which began in 2014, will improve junction 19 of the M1, along with sections of the M6 and the A14 within the counties of Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. Once completed, it will relieve congestion, improve journey reliability and boost safety.
Drivers are advised that the M6 northbound entry slip road from the western roundabout at Catthorpe interchange will be closed permanently from 9pm on Friday 16 October. Local traffic and M1 drivers wishing to join the M6 northbound will need to use alternative routes to access the M6 at junction 1.
The A14 westbound and M1 northbound to M6 link road will be closed overnight from 9pm on Friday 16 October until 8am on Saturday 17 October to allow the new link road to be opened. A14 westbound traffic should leave the A14 at junction 13 (Thrapston, A45) or junction 8 (Kettering, A43) to join the M1 at junction 15. M6 Northbound traffic on the M1 will be directed to leave the M1 at junction 20onto the A426 to join the M6 at junction 1.
There will be a further closure of the M1 to M6 link road overnight from 8pm on Saturday 17 October until 8am on Sunday 18 October to switch traffic onto a new temporary link to allow the work to realign this link to the new M6 to A14 link road to commence.
Diversions will be clearly signposted. More information about the improvement scheme can be found on the Highways England project pages.
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