Aerial map
You can move around with your keyboard
plus
minus
left
right
Drop pin on the map to start a new report
space
Press space again to adjust the location
space
Start new report here Reposition report here
Back to all reports

Top half of sign is missing for westbound get in lane advice about 1 mile prior to A421/A6 junction

Reported via mobile in the Damage to Sign (NH) category anonymously at 08:18, Tue 12 December 2023

Sent to National Highways less than a minute later. FixMyStreet ref: 5309365.

Location A421 westbound Bedford bypass just after it rises up to a flyover and before the junction with A6. Map location given is accurate.

The sign for the 3 lanes states Elstow A5141 (lane 1) and Cambridge A421 (other 2 lanes). The Cambridge lettering is clipped above and it appears the top half of the sign is missing.

There should be additional half a sign above what is present today, for example comparing the sign to the following sign nearer the actual A6 junction shows what's missing.

The subsequent sign at the A6 junction has additional wording: "Luton A6 and Bedford" above Elstow and "The north A1' above Cambridge.

I've included Google Street of the damaged sign and the following sign showing the differences.

----

In summary the advanced notice is missing for exit to Luton A6 and Bedford or straight on for A1 north. This could cause some late lane changes on this three lane fly over or missed exits as the inner lane between these junctions feeds off and doesn't go straight on.

Where the sign is damaged the road is already complicated. The 2 lane a421 is rising to a flyover and joined by 2 slip lanes joining coming up from the left to result in 3 lanes. So 4 lanes merge to 3 and the inner lane feeds off in 1mile. Traffic is moving between lanes depending on whether they turn off next of go straight on and due to the merge join. For safety it is better that drivers have as much advanced information about which lane they will need by the next junction which is under 1 mile away.

RSS feed of updates to this problem Receive email when updates are left on this problem.

Updates

  • See Streetview photos on the FixMyStreet report 5308140

    Https://www.fixmystreet.com/report/5308140

    Posted anonymously at 08:21, Tue 12 December 2023

  • Google Streetview has older imagery and the 2017 view of this location shows the undamaged sign. See a screenshot added to the FixMyStreet post, link above.

    Posted anonymously at 10:42, Tue 12 December 2023

  • Correction: it is eastbound not westbound, sorry

    Posted anonymously at 11:39, Tue 12 December 2023

  • Thank you for contacting National Highways regarding the signage eastbound at Kempston on the A421.

    It appears that the issue you are reporting has been reported already and is under investigation.

    Thank you for taking the time to raise this with us.

    Kind regards

    National Highways

    State changed to: Duplicate

    Posted by National Highways at 09:28, Wed 13 December 2023

This report is now closed to updates from the public. You can make a new report in the same location.