Dear all,
As a regular user of the Catthorpe Interchange (M6/A14/M1 junction), I would welcome some advice as to how I should use the junction as to me, it is very unclear.
Travelling from the M6 Southbound to get to the A14, there is a signpost 1 mile from the junction saying the access to the A14 and M1 North is from the left-hand lane. This is re-emphasised 1/2 a mile from the junction, plus the roadmarkings to the inside lane become short-dashed. This inside lane regularly queues from between the 1/2 mile and the mile marker. At the point that this lane leaves the motorway it immediately becomes two lanes. Some drivers cut in to the outside of these two lanes from what was the middle lane of the M6 at the point the sliproad leaves. This is clearly quicker as you avoid the queue, although there are no markings to say that this is a permitted action and in some situations, this looks to be dangerous and has the potential for a nasty accident. The two lanes then go down to a roundabout where you can go straight on to the A14 or left to the M1. The A14 is signposted in both lanes. The road then narrows to one lane under the M1 and back to two immediately afterwards.
My way of driving this is to get into the inside lane as soon as I can either when I can see a queue ahead or after the mile marker. However I reckon that this probably is 10-15 mins slower than cutting in! Most people seem to do the same although many cut in at the slip road. I then stay in the inside (as I find it generally quicker) until I go under the M1 and then to the outside to avoid the lorries going on the A14.
I would welcome any views of other people who drive this junction, particularly those that don't follow the signs and go into the inside lane prior to the junction. Also, who would you speak to if you wanted to get things improved?
Many thanks,
Nick
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Describing Catthorpe as an Interchange is pushing definitions some. The M1/M6 interface is fine for the main North and Southbound flows, but the liks to the A14 and from the M6S to M1N were put in on the cheap using a flyunder on the M1 originally servicing local traffic only.
Your technique is the right one, the signage for the reserved nearside lane is admirably clear. The pushers in should be pulled over for due care or some similar offence.
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The M62, M1 junction is exactly the same and results in the same situation and chaos at rush hour. A better option is that used on the M5/M42 where the inside lane is M42 only, the middle M42 or M5, the outside M5 only (M4/A48 juntion is similar). You then get traffic joining both lanes of the slip road of the M42. It doesn't stop problems though as those unfamiliar with the junction stay in the middle lane but panic when they see the left hand lane peeling off. This results in the uncertain driver crossing all the hatching (saw it happen again yesterday).
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Hands up - guilty
I use the Catthorpe regularly a14-M6 in the morning and m6-a14 in the evening.
Evening. I use the middle name and find a gap anywhere after the 1/2 mile marker (where the thick dotted line starts) there is always one just in front of a lorry.
Morning - sat nav has found me the back roads from a14 to cathorpe itself just past the junction and on the m6 slip up ramp itself
--
RF - currently 1 Renault short of a family
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