A1 Gap Closures
We’re improving safety on the A1 in the East Midlands by closing gaps in the central reservation
Latest updates
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04 July 2025
First gaps to close this month
First we'll close 13 gaps between Little Ponton and Colsterworth in Lincolnshire.
These gaps are small. They're not used often - as either field or pedestrian accesses.
We'll do this work as part of our current safety barrier maintenance between Harlaxton and South Witham.
Lane closures from July to August
To close the gaps, we'll need overnight (8pm - 6am) lane closures on week nights from Wednesday 16 July to Tuesday 19 August.
We've held discussions with the local authority over rights of way associated to two gaps:
- Gap 23 involved a public right of way on the western side of the A1
- Gap 41 involved a public right on the eastern side of the A1
We’re closing smaller gaps first so traffic can't switch to them when we close larger gaps.
Next steps
We're considering 46 larger gaps for closure in future:
- across Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Rutland
- between Blyth and Stamford
We don't currently have a timescale this work.
We’re deciding which gaps to close next. Before we do, we need to know that junctions people will use instead can cope with more traffic.
If we need to stop up public rights of way, we'll go through the proper statutory process. This includes consultations overseen by the relevant local authority.
Project information
Overview
We're closing the gaps along the A1 in the East Midlands, between Blyth in the north and Stamford in the south, in response to safety concerns raised by local communities.
Some are used for agricultural access or to access single properties. Others are larger and used to cross the A1 to access local roads on the other side, to turn right on to the opposite carriageway from a side road, or by drivers or riders wanting to do a U-turn.
These manoeuvres have led to incidents, some resulting in fatalities or injuries, as well as closures of the A1 causing lengthy delays to road users.
Benefits
Closing the gaps will lead to:
- improved safety
- a reduction in emergency closures of the A1
- economic benefit
Documents
Traffic information
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