Drivers facing long delays on routes around Peterborough as A1m roadworks begin

Traffic is heavy on the A1m itself due to lane closures, but it is also causing long tailbacks on the A15 between Yaxley and Haddon and on the A605/Fletton Parkway.

The A1 junction at Alwalton is also heavy as people try to divert.

Chris Kilmore tweeted Highways England: "Have you anything to say about the utter carnage of A1 south Peterborough to Yaxley? Got it wrong again A15 at a standstill."

Highways England replied: "Hi Chris, we can confirm there are no significant delays on the A1 southbound at this location at this time."

But, Cambridgeshire County Council's traffic feed confirmed that "#A15 southbound from #Hampton to the Broadway traffic lights in #Yaxley: queues of around 2 miles, not helped by traffic avoiding the #A1139 Fletton Parkway."

And Peterborough Telegraph reader @centralsimon tweeted: "Thinking back. The last time we had traffic this bad around Hampton was when @HighwaysEAST closed the slip road on the A1(m)."

The work, due to take place over four weeks between Friday, May 11, and Friday, June 8, will see reconstruction of the road, between junctions 17 (Peterborough) and 16 (Yaxley).

Works will include resurfacing, renewal of the road markings and improvements to drainage. To carry out the works, there will be lane closures and overnight closures.

Last year road works on the A1 at Junction 17 caused major disruption to traffic across Peterborough, leading North West Cambridgeshire MP Shailesh Vara to raise the issue in parliament.

But Highways England project manager Annette Hodgman said workers would do their best to minimise disruption.

She said: “Safety is our top priority, and following earlier surveys of the motorway we realised the need to act to carry out these repairs to ensure it could remain safe for drivers, while also providing smooth journeys.

“We’re committed to minimising disruption for drivers, so most of the work we’ll be doing will be overnight, so that the 60,000 drivers who use this stretch of road every day are not inconvenienced.”

The road will be closed southbound overnight on May 11, May 17, May 18, May 24, May 29 to June 1 and June 4. The southbound exit slip road of junction 16 will also be closed 24/7 from 9pm on Friday 11 May to 5am on Friday 25 May.

Drivers will be diverted to continue along the A1(M) to junction 15, exit and return northbound on the A1(M) return to junction 16. The entry slip road at the same junction will be closed 9pm to 5am on Friday 18 May, and on Thursday 24 May. Drivers will be diverted to take the B1043 towards Stilton to join the A1(M) at junction 15.

Once completed, this work will ensure that the road and safety barriers are of an improved standard and do not need similar repair for around eight years to come.