A43 road

UK road routebox
road= A43
caption= A43 Brackley Bypass


length-mi=
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direction=
start= M40 Junction 10
destinations= Northampton
Kettering
Corby
end= Stamford
construction-date=
completion-date=
junctions= Junction 15A
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ukroadsmall|4300
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The A43 is a primary route in the English Midlands, that runs from the M40 motorway near Ardley in Oxfordshire to Stamford in Lincolnshire. On the way it passes many large towns, including Northampton, Kettering and Corby, as well as linking to the M1 motorway.

The section of the road between the M40 and M1 is designated a trunk road, managed and maintained by the Highways Agency. The remainder of the route is the responsibility of local authorities.

Route of Road

M40 to M1

The A43 starts at M40 junction 10 (the home of Cherwell Valley Services) and is widely regarded as being one of the worst motorway junctions in the country despite improvements made in the early 2000s. There are often long tailbacks at the junction, even at off-peak times.

The stretch of A43 through Northamptonshire was upgraded to dual carriageway standard in the early 2000s, primarily to improve access to Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix.

The town of Brackley was bypassed in 1987, and the road continues towards Silverstone, where the road joins the A413 at a Grade-Separated junction.

The A43 then continues towards Towcester, where it meets the A5 (Roman Watling Street) at a roundabout. This roundabout is dangerously unsuited to the traffic volumes it handles on both roads. Continuing towards Northampton, it bypasses Towcester and numerous other villages, before reaching the M1 at junction 15A.

M1 to Corby

From M1 junction 15a the A43 continues on the Northampton ring road, Lumbertubs Way. It runs concurrent with the A45 and other roads for part of this length. North of Northampton, it rejoins the old course of the A43 and passes through Moulton. A bypass is proposed for here.

Following this, the road has a straight, rural stretch before reaching a roundabout at Broughton. After bypassing Broughton, it continues towards Kettering. It overlaps the A14 at its Junction 8, to bypass Kettering. At Junction 7 the A43 re-emerges on a new dual carriageway bypass. The old route of the A43 through Kettering town centre is still intact.

After bypassing Kettering, the road passes Boughton House, and travels through the historic village of Geddington. The traffic is often heavy here, and a bypass is proposed. Continuing from here, it passes the Euro-Hub site at Corby, and then it passes Corby and reaches several roundabouts.

Corby to Stamford

After bypassing Corby and Weldon, it heads out on a rural stretch, past Deene Park, and then bypassing Bulwick, the only village on this stretch. It passes some splendid woodland, and then heads towards Duddington.

Bypassing Duddington, it meets the A47. After a few miles it passes through Collyweston and Easton-on-the-Hill.

Then it meets the A1, before continuing towards Stamford. Previously, the A43 stopped at a junction with the Old A1 (Great North Road) in Stamford, but now that Stamford is bypassed, the A43 continues over the River Welland, until it reaches the A16.

History of the road number

The original (1923) route of the A43 was from the A42 (later the A34) at Kidlington to Stamford. After completion of the Oxford Ring Road, the southern terminus was changed to the Pear Tree Roundabout between Kidlington and Oxford. When the M40 was opened in 1991 the road from the Pear Tree Roundabout to Weston-on-the-Green was renumbered A34, and the stretch through Middleton Stoney between the A34 and junction 10 of the M40 was downgraded to the B430.

External links

* [http://www.cbrd.co.uk/badjunctions/40-43.shtml Chris's British Roads Directory - Bad Junctions - M40/A43]
* [http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/roadlists/f99/43.shtml SABRE Roads route description]
* [http://www.road-to-nowhere.co.uk/route-guides/maps/A43.htm Road to Nowhere: A43]