A1 Scotch Corner night diversions
Discussion
Any of you guys affected by the A1 nightly closures around Scotch Corner? Started doing a run up to Cumbria and back to Leeds most nights and I managed to get past J50 at the A61 before they coned it off northbound last 2 nights but copped for the southbound closure again tonight. Last night I followed the "advice" of a tipper driver whilst filling up at Penrith and he said to come off at Scotch Corner and follow the Richmond road, then hairpin left just before the town centre down the B6271 to Catterick then rejoin the A1 southbound there. Quick skeg at googlemaps and looked good to go so that's what I did 
. He wasn't kidding about the hairpin left onto the B6271 
- can only *just* get an artic round without taking out the railings but the road is good to Catterick. Unfortunately my finely laid plans were scuppered when I discovered the access onto the A1 south at Catterick was closed so as it was 2.30am I made the executive decision to throw caution to the wind and headed down the unclassified road through Hackforth to Crakehall and then pick up the 684 through Bedale, hard left up to Leeming Bar then right down the A6055 past Londonderry alongside the A1 and rejoin at J50.
Not wishing to suffer the same fate tonight I checked out some other routes and found one (coming from A66) that only adds about 10 mins on. Turn right off A66 at B6274 following signs for Gilling West and Richmond (ignore "no access to A1" signs - they tell lies!). Follow road all the way into Richmond and turn right at roundabout. Into town centre, turn left and pick up signs for A6136 Catterick Garrison. Just stay on that road for about 5+ miles, over 3 rbts, past Arrathorne and it becomes Brompton Rd but still a good 2 lane road and eventually meets with the A684, turn left for Bedale, then as above : left in Bedale town centre onto continuation of A684 under the A1 to Leeming Bar town centre, left at the painted rbt, left at the next new rbt, then left again at the next one and you're back on the A1 at J51.
Same route works in reverse if you're wanting to go over the A66, but you'll be taken off at J50 and have to run up the side of the A1 on the A6055 to the A684 then left into Bedale. Win!
Route map : Clicky
If you're continuing up the A1 then go straight on at the roundabout coming out of Richmond up the A6108 to Scotch Corner.
. He wasn't kidding about the hairpin left onto the B6271 - can only *just* get an artic round without taking out the railings but the road is good to Catterick. Unfortunately my finely laid plans were scuppered when I discovered the access onto the A1 south at Catterick was closed so as it was 2.30am I made the executive decision to throw caution to the wind and headed down the unclassified road through Hackforth to Crakehall and then pick up the 684 through Bedale, hard left up to Leeming Bar then right down the A6055 past Londonderry alongside the A1 and rejoin at J50.Not wishing to suffer the same fate tonight I checked out some other routes and found one (coming from A66) that only adds about 10 mins on. Turn right off A66 at B6274 following signs for Gilling West and Richmond (ignore "no access to A1" signs - they tell lies!). Follow road all the way into Richmond and turn right at roundabout. Into town centre, turn left and pick up signs for A6136 Catterick Garrison. Just stay on that road for about 5+ miles, over 3 rbts, past Arrathorne and it becomes Brompton Rd but still a good 2 lane road and eventually meets with the A684, turn left for Bedale, then as above : left in Bedale town centre onto continuation of A684 under the A1 to Leeming Bar town centre, left at the painted rbt, left at the next new rbt, then left again at the next one and you're back on the A1 at J51.
Same route works in reverse if you're wanting to go over the A66, but you'll be taken off at J50 and have to run up the side of the A1 on the A6055 to the A684 then left into Bedale. Win! Route map : Clicky
If you're continuing up the A1 then go straight on at the roundabout coming out of Richmond up the A6108 to Scotch Corner.
Edited by All that jazz on Friday 29th April 05:53
All the efforts of getting HGV traffic to use our road system at night so the rods are less congested for the commuters ,all falls apart when the roads are shut .
A properly signposted diversion capable of use by HGV traffic should be made a legal requirement, how many diversions do we see that are not suitable for HGVs.
I was in a traffic jam last month ,in a village at 3am ! Both motorways in the area were closed overnight and this was the diversion route with 4 lots of traffic lighted roadworks on it .
A properly signposted diversion capable of use by HGV traffic should be made a legal requirement, how many diversions do we see that are not suitable for HGVs.
I was in a traffic jam last month ,in a village at 3am ! Both motorways in the area were closed overnight and this was the diversion route with 4 lots of traffic lighted roadworks on it .
That stretch of the A1 has been shut at night for at least a year. Don't follow their diversion through Barnard Castle, go A19, A689, then back on the A1 at junction 60. Looks a long way but adds no more than 10 minutes and is all good road. 1 bridge at 16' 3". I go that way at least once a week and I dont even bother checking if the A1 is open any more.
trick3000tt said:
That stretch of the A1 has been shut at night for at least a year. Don't follow their diversion through Barnard Castle, go A19, A689, then back on the A1 at junction 60. Looks a long way but adds no more than 10 minutes and is all good road. 1 bridge at 16' 3". I go that way at least once a week and I dont even bother checking if the A1 is open any more.
That's fine if the A19 is open, which it often isn't!All that jazz said:
trick3000tt said:
That stretch of the A1 has been shut at night for at least a year. Don't follow their diversion through Barnard Castle, go A19, A689, then back on the A1 at junction 60. Looks a long way but adds no more than 10 minutes and is all good road. 1 bridge at 16' 3". I go that way at least once a week and I dont even bother checking if the A1 is open any more.
That's fine if the A19 is open, which it often isn't!philmots said:
It's quite amusing, A1 shut and the diversion sends everyone up he A19, then they shut that too and send all A1 and A19 Northbound traffic through Northallerton, causing gridlock at midnight!!
I don't even bother with the diversion now if the A1 is shut northbound. I stay on until J51, left down the new bypass around Bedale, A684 through Little Crakehall and Patrick Brompton, right turn after the old Thrust garage for Catterick Garrison and stay on that road all the way to Richmond and other side of Richmond either follow A6108 to Scotch Corner or peel off left at the rbt up the B6274 which brings you out about 5 mile along the A66 if heading west. The road around Arrathorne and Scotton is pretty rough, narrow and very up hill/down dale but it soon levels out once you're into the barracks. Not a good road for the stereotypical motorway trunker as they'll be s
tting themselves, but perfectly doable at a steady 30mph - any faster and you'll be bottoming out the suspension over the ridges and crests. The B6274 up to the A66 isn't a particularly good road either if you're running heavy but doable with care.The A1's shut again this week, I just come off at J49 up the A19, pull off at Yarm. Once through Yarm, it's tempting to go left onto the A67 which is 10 mins quicker but there's a weight limit as you head for the airport. So carry on onto A135, then onto the A66 Darlington side.
Last night, they had the eastbound side closed for grass-cutting, so I guess the westbound side which I'm on, will be shut in the next few nights.
Then it's past the brick train/football stadium then onto the A1, then onto the Corner. Also noticed last night, that the A66M onto the A1 will be closed from the 12/09 for 4 weeks but that just means taking a left and heading to Barton and back on the A1 at the Barton junction.
At least all these closures/diversions keeps me awake!
Last night, they had the eastbound side closed for grass-cutting, so I guess the westbound side which I'm on, will be shut in the next few nights.
Then it's past the brick train/football stadium then onto the A1, then onto the Corner. Also noticed last night, that the A66M onto the A1 will be closed from the 12/09 for 4 weeks but that just means taking a left and heading to Barton and back on the A1 at the Barton junction.
At least all these closures/diversions keeps me awake!
Edited by mp3manager on Tuesday 6th September 14:29
All that jazz said:
I don't even bother with the diversion now if the A1 is shut northbound. I stay on until J51, left down the new bypass around Bedale, A684 through Little Crakehall and Patrick Brompton, right turn after the old Thrust garage for Catterick Garrison and stay on that road all the way to Richmond and other side of Richmond either follow A6108 to Scotch Corner or peel off left at the rbt up the B6274 which brings you out about 5 mile along the A66 if heading west. The road around Arrathorne and Scotton is pretty rough, narrow and very up hill/down dale but it soon levels out once you're into the barracks. Not a good road for the stereotypical motorway trunker as they'll be stting themselves, but perfectly doable at a steady 30mph - any faster and you'll be bottoming out the suspension over the ridges and crests. The B6274 up to the A66 isn't a particularly good road either if you're running heavy but doable with care.
Problem I have is I'm generally going further north than the A66, when it's shut from A66 to Barton is there another way to go apart from the ridiculous Barnard Castle diversion?tting themselves, but perfectly doable at a steady 30mph - any faster and you'll be bottoming out the suspension over the ridges and crests. The B6274 up to the A66 isn't a particularly good road either if you're running heavy but doable with care.philmots said:
Problem I have is I'm generally going further north than the A66, when it's shut from A66 to Barton is there another way to go apart from the ridiculous Barnard Castle diversion?
Yes. Piece of piss. Off at J50, run up the side of the A1 up to Leeming Bar, left at the rbt as if you're going in to the services, down to the T-junction, turn right on the 684 for Northallerton. Run along there for a few miles until you come to a cross roads with a left turn for Yafforth. Take that (Dolly Lane) and follow to the end. Right at the T-junction, 2 miles into Northallerton. You'll come to Wickes on your left hand side, turn left at the mini rbt and you're on the A167. Follow all the way to Darlo until you come to the rbt with the 66. 2nd exit for Darlo. Over the 1st rbt, right at the 2nd rbt, left at the 3rd rbt (50 yds from previous one). You'll go over 3 more rbts and then you're back on the A1 at J58.
philmots said:
Ah yeah I see, I normally come off J49, 168 into Northallerton then 167 out through Croft etc and out onto the 68 to J58.
But generally that's it I'm going to Darlington, Bishop A, Durham etc.. Newcastle etc I just fly straight up and across 1237 or 184.
You will get sometimes get stuck in some monumental queues at 2am using the A168 from the A19 into Northallerton depending on which roads are closed and where. You avoid all the staying on the A1. I'm not up that way at the moment, mainly because I spotted the signs saying that the A19 would be closed overnight for random dates around end of last month and now so some other poor sap is doing those runs and I'm floating about locally til it's all over But generally that's it I'm going to Darlington, Bishop A, Durham etc.. Newcastle etc I just fly straight up and across 1237 or 184.
.Btw I received your email. I suspected as much. Too far from where I am and that kind of work bores me to tears, especially when you have to get in the back, unlike your competitor based about 15 miles SW of you
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