A509 road

The A509 is a short (about 30 miles/50 km) A-class road for north/south journeys in south central England, forming the route from Kettering in Northamptonshire to the M1 and A5 in Milton Keynes.

The road begins at Wicksteed Park in the outskirts of Kettering, Isham, Great Harrowden and goes on to form the Wellingborough western bypass before crossing into the Borough of Milton Keynes (and traditional Buckinghamshire). From there, it cuts through the centre of Olney and becomes a dual carriageway as it crosses the A422 east of Newport Pagnell, then crosses the M1 at Junction 14 where it enters Milton Keynes. A further four miles (7 km) takes it past the edge of the centre and the National Hockey Stadium, to link up with the A5 at the National Badminton Centre in Loughton.

During 2005 there were two fatal crashes in the same 100m stretch of the road as it passes between Emberton and Petsoe End. This area of the road had become notorious as a black spot for traffic accidents, and residents of Emberton had complained to Milton Keynes Borough Council for a number of years for improvements to the road. In July 2005 local residents met in the village and demanded a 40mph speed limit and improvements. These were promised by the Council within six months, but were implemented in September 2006.