Skip to main content

Work to begin on M1 improvements

Work on the M1 Junction 19 improvement scheme near Catthorpe, Leicestershire, will start in January, UK roads minster Robert Goodwill has announced today. The US$312.7 million scheme will reduce congestion and improve journey time reliability and safety by replacing the existing junction with a three-level junction and improving roads between the villages of Catthorpe and Swinford so local traffic can avoid the junction.
December 11, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Work on the M1 Junction 19 improvement scheme near Catthorpe, Leicestershire, will start in January, UK roads minster Robert Goodwill has announced today.

The US$312.7 million scheme will reduce congestion and improve journey time reliability and safety by replacing the existing junction with a three-level junction and improving roads between the villages of Catthorpe and Swinford so local traffic can avoid the junction.

Goodwill said: “The 142,000 vehicles that pass through Catthorpe junction every day demonstrate how important this route is. However, the current layout of Catthorpe is unable to meet this demand, giving rise to congestion, delays, accidents and conflict between local and longer-distance traffic. Without improvement these problems will get worse. “I am delighted to announce that construction will start in January, showing our commitment to deliver much need improvements to England’s infrastructure.”

The M1 Junction 19 Improvement Scheme will provide several direct free-flow links: A14 to M1 northbound; M1 southbound to A14; M6 to A14 in both directions; M6 to M1 southbound; and M1 northbound to M6. The M1 will remain on its current alignment. Improvements to the local road network will include: a new link between Rugby Road and Shawell Lane north of the M6; a local route under the junction between Swinford and Catthorpe; and improvements to Shawell Lane/Catthorpe Lane, between Catthorpe Road and the M6 to the east and towards the A5 to the west.

Related Content

  • Putting the brakes on smart motorways
    February 28, 2022
    The UK government has announced that development of its all-lane running highways is going to be put on hold for another few years to assess safety data. Adam Hill finds out why
  • Running on empty
    May 2, 2018
    Drivers are an increasingly rare species on Europe’s commuter metros as unattended train operation is embraced. David Crawford takes a low-speed tour of the continent’s capitals to see what’s happening. Unattended train operation (UTO) is fast becoming the norm for Europe’s metros, on existing as well as new lines. November 2017 statistics published by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) show the continent as having 28% of the global total of route km on lines operating at the ultimate
  • Lights out on sections of UK motorway network
    January 31, 2012
    Motorway lighting along a section of the M6 in Lancashire in the UK will be switched off between midnight and 5am in a move to reduce energy costs, carbon emissions, and light pollution, the Highways Agency has announced.
  • New technology revolution in urban traffic control?
    January 26, 2012
    Urban traffic control is a well-defined and practised art. Nevertheless, there are technologies here and on the horizon with the potential to revolutionise how we do things. By Gavin Jackman and Andrew Kirkham, TRL, and Jason Barnes. Distributed monitoring and control of urban traffic networks and flows is nothing new. PC-based Urban Traffic Control (UTC) is now well established and operating in many locations around the world. However, it is worth considering the effects of the huge growth in the use of sm