Secrets of The Motorway - M6 Part 1 - Catthorpe to Stafford

[@stevehill4615]

The box tunnel under the M6 at junction 13 by Argos was indeed a cattle tunnel for the farm, between junctions 13 & 14 you'll find another similar underpass,in your next episode going from junction 14 just north of the junction there used to be a cattle bridge that was removed when the motorway was converted to "all lane running" (the abutments for the bridge were too narrow ---- no hard shoulder there).

[@UraFlight]

Thank you for the explanation 😊

[@dave_h_8742]

Will wait for that in next weeks instalment i bet he filmed this weeks ago so can't be arsed to add it 😅 Not like them to waste money like that 😂

[@tedcopple101]

I didn't know Argos made tunnels.

[@Caustictherapy]

Theres another cattle tunnel about a mile north of junc 25 Bryn just before you get to Windy Arbour

[@brianparker3150]

He missed one at junc 10. We used to used it in our lunch breaks at the local school to go to the cinema and get posters. for those interested zoom into the south side of junc 10 and look for Sneyd Brook, you have the tunnel the brook uses and another right next to it.

[@windleshamwanderer3728]

As a lorry driver on a 38 yrs I enjoy these films tremendously. You document the changes that i have seen over the years and highlight the "what was that for" snatched glances at infrastructure and 'almost built' or derelict features that i have seen in my travels. I look forward to your videos, presented in your own inimitable style. Keep up the good work.

[@samholdsworth420]

Lorry 🤣 Red lorry yellow 🚛💛

[@nickwhitney1534]

M6,M1 and A14. Three of the busiest routes in the country all meeting up at a mini roundabout. Since the new junction was built i have not seen congestion yet.👍

[@6thdayblue59]

Ever thought about being the voice for a Sat Nav ? Imagine driving (well queuing) up the M6 and listening to John narrate what is around us. That would be "awesome, sweet, wicked" 🤣🤣🤣

[@AutoShenanigans]

In 800 yards, you would have been able to exit the motorway.. but they didn't built the slip road... continue for 17 miles and make a U turn.

[@6thdayblue59]

@@AutoShenanigans 🤣🤣🤣

[@KidarWolf]

@@AutoShenanigans Yes please? That would be an awesome Sat Nav - a bit like having a tour guide, rather than a navigator who's often more lost than I am!

[@mrc7478]

Hump shunting yard. You knew exactly what you were doing. And I commend you.

[@PineappleSkip]

As an Australian who visited Birmingham in the 2010s I expect the secret underpass at 10:36 would have been to let the Kangaroos jump through. Too many accidents when they jump across the carriageways.

[@theonlywoody2shoes]

As a Welshman who moved to Felixstowe in the late 1980’s; the Catthorpe interchange was a nightmare - a dual carriageway (A14) that became a single lane (each way) underpass with traffic lights below the Motorway. For those that knew, there was a “short cut” when heading eastbound via the villages of Newton and Catthorpe (From M6 J1) that brought you out at the traffic lights just before the underpass - omitting 15 to 30 minutes of traffic in peak times. So much better now!

[@astronomenov99]

I've used that dodge! I used to live in Rugby.

[@Bellezzasolo]

But the secret emergency access slip roads to the two motorways there have been signed "no motor vehicles except authorised vehicles". No MOTOR vehicles 🤦‍♂️ Surprised Jon didn't use that loophole to get a closeup shot tbh 🤣

[@Willisoverthemoon]

If you're interested in semi secret motorway underpasses on the M6, you've missed the most interesting one of the stretch covered here! Head southbound from J6 and realise you can't exit or turnaround at J5. Look to your left for a gap in the barriers and you'll see a step, narrow single carriageway width off slip. It takes you downhill steeply then through a tunnel that goes under both carriageways of the M6 and then underneath the parallel A452 Collector Road. To get back on M6 northbound, you'll find yourself at a right angle to the A452, with a gap in the central reservation crash barriers. Cross both carriageways in one go, not for the faint hearted as its its a quick road and you get no run up. Follow the little slip road to your immediate left on the A452, and them you find yourself on top of what CMPG officers refer to as 'Trevor's Hump' (an officer become infamous some years ago for using this spot for a quick nap during the night shift) or more commonly nowadays as just 'The Hump', due to its raised platform overlooking the M6 northbound. Then down the dip of the short sliproad back onto M6 northbound. This whole layout is for emergency service use only and is mainly used as a turnaround point to get from M6 South to M6 North, given the junction layouts make this maneuver difficult south of J6! Not for the faint hearted when performed on blue lights at speed, given how steep and narrow some of the slip roads are. Bit of a roller coaster ride. Surprised there's no mention of the RAC control centre near J9 too, big landmark near Bescot stadium. The Tame River runs directly under the viaduct for much of the distance between J9 and J6 as well, which many don't know.

[@godzillas6301]

Thats sound advise except for the cops lovvvvvvvve to hang out on the piggy perch just before the sign for the M6/juc 5 . The whole areas super hot and the cops like to errrrrrr disappear off the radar for a little while to show the young wpcs how to handle a police truncheon .... if you catch my drift . To give a bit back notice when you go up the hill on the collector it seems to cut through a hill and its been butressed up with a shed load of concrete ? ever wonder why ? This was an iron age feature that when dug up was found to have bodies in it ........ lots of sweeping under carpets later and hence the concrete . How do i know ? my old fella was major of Arden district at the time of its making .

[@Willisoverthemoon]

@godzillas6301 the piggy perch you mention is 'The Hump' I refer to!

[@godzillas6301]

@@Willisoverthemoon As someone who as a kid would taunt the police to chase us up and down the collector road , while were were on crossers , for an afternoons sport then we knew the area rather well . I was there as a baby in arms as `the wood` was built and it was my playground . We were little bastards but were respectfull to others and held no malice . It was very entertaining getting chased by a couple of the lads in a mini metro on the road while we were on the grass , slamming on the brakes and shooting off in the other direction . Sadly we would have to wait around a bit for them to catch up which was all part of the fun . Another bit of fun would be allowing them to think they had a chance as we would skuttle through aran ways shops . They would try to ram us as we escaped down the side of what became in times rays snooker hall ( ray barritt of kingfisher drive and then the chester road ) . Fun times 🙂 I remember the collector road being built along with the NEC and the M42 . Lets say im very local .

[@AutoShenanigans]

Well bloody hell... that's a good one and yes, completely missed it!

[@thebrowns5337]

Do you have a what three words for the hump?

[@orwellboy1958]

Catthorpe was the stuff of nightmares on my commute from Cambridge to Birmingham.

[@KidarWolf]

Yup! I know that feeling, though for me, it was to go visit my nan!

[@stephenweston1807]

Ah yes, the Bromford viaduct passing Fort Dunlop. All that comes to my mind is the miles of ker-bump..ker-bump..ker-bump..ker-bump..ker-bump.. as you drove over the not-so-level expansion joints.

[@egbront1506]

Join the M5 at J8 and you can get another reprise between J1 and J2 of the motorway judders.

[@_chrisr_]

I remember using the Catthorpe Interchange back in the early 2000s and it was essentially a roundabout connecting the M6 to the A14. I used it a few weeks back and it is vastly improved!

[@madpixie2]

If i remember correctly, you could also get on the M1 North but not South. It has definitely improved the flow of traffic now, there used to be mile long queues all around the junction.

[@christophersmith5434]

I can't understand why you can't go south on the M1 from the A14. It's surely the easiest slip road ever?????

[@madpixie2]

You can now but i think the original A14 connection was rushed & done on the cheap

[@AuroDHikoshi]

@@christophersmith5434 It is a mystery why... maybe expecting traffic to go elsewhere to get to south if you were... Via Northampton?

[@billy4072]

Catthorpe , Yes three major roads linked by two mini roundabouts .. a masterpiece in engineering , that only in uk...would 5 year olds be allowed to design. Much better now, but still does not cure the disbelief that it was designed that way. The saying "dereliction of duty " summed it up .

[@gordonevans7781]

My dad and me were both coal miners from Littleton colliery.He worked on the locomotives taking coal to the link to the main railway network at Penkridge not the canal

[@mootpointjones8488]

Very true, the colliery came too late for the canal.

[@anonUK]

I think that in general, railways replaced the canals for the transport of industrial goods in the mid 19th century as they became more widespread and reliable. Whether that colliery was there before the railway was built wouldn't make any difference- canals for this purpose were long obsolete due to the railways and later on, road transport. The only canals that were still useful were ship canals, not barge canals like the ones in most of Britain.

[@tripnick555]

OK, this week's 90s TV show theme is Family Fortunes. Looking forward to next week's name that tune 👍 Also, I love the fact you leave in the outtakes, like trying to lean on the balance beam at the canal luck. I could see that coming a mile off!🤣

[@grindelston5968]

Ahhhh, Thank you , I knew I recognised it just couldn't remember. Lee Dennis era FF.

[@MYCROFTonX]

The best presented channel on youtube. John, you are a natural.

[@andrewhotston983]

I agree - content, presentation and editing are perfect.

[@AutoShenanigans]

aww you guys....

[@robin_marriott]

I used to do M1, M6 and A444 every day when commuting from Northampton to Coventry. I think it gave me PTSD.

[@jimdieseldawg3435]

Those bloody roundabouts at Catthorpe were a source of concentrated sphincter spasms. Brake for a stupidly tight curve, brake harder due to priority traffic on the right on the roundabout and hope that the foreign trucker in his 40-tonne artic behind you is also paying attention. I hope that the chief civil engineer is “enjoying” his special place in Hades with its excellent view of the lawyer pits.

[@lefthandedspanner]

it was an excellent example of infrastructure being dictated by politics - the engineers were tasked with connecting A14 to the motorways while pinching as many pennies as humanly possible, and had they not been compelled to do so, it would likely have been built more like its current form then again, this was the era of motorway design that gave us the "improved" Cherwell Valley Interchange (M40 junction 10, where the once-straight sliproads were tightened into sharp bends, an extra merge point was introduced on the main line, and traffic flows entering and leaving A43 to the north had to cross each other, creating a conflict point that wasn't there before)

[@frankmitchell3594]

Listening to local radio, the Catthorpe interchange used to get a congestion warning every morning.

[@adamjones1914]

I like the way you use your in and out remarks 😂😂😂

[@matthewupward4303]

"For a service starion that was never built" put that on a t-shirt!!

[@matthewupward4303]

Station! Damn.

[@pigeonpoo1823]

Along with 'a minor disagreement between nations' with a mushroom cloud behind

[@donalddodson7365]

Thanks, Jon. Just finished a marvelous Mothers' Day weekend Black Bear Diner delivered breakfast, courtesy of our younger daughter. For desert, I enjoyed more of the M-6. I look forward to each episode. Thank you. (Look forward to aerobatic drone flights around the £9,000,000 silver whatever-it-is monument.) Greetings from La Mesa, CA USA.

[@ruaraidhmcdonald-walker9524]

Catthorpe so much better than it used to be when all east - west and north-south traffic had to cross over one another. Chaos. Much better now.

[@robtrunley]

My guilty pleasure, thanks John, I hope you have had a good week!

[@CORNERofTECH]

9:45 They reconsidered the options and removed that option.

[@blaikie79]

Catthorpe interchange is very very good - much better than what was there before!

[@EP3Stuff]

I used to visit Fort Dunlop for training courses, they had a Italian/Indian fusion restaurant downstairs next to a bike shop. I remember having pepperoni pizza with tikka masala. Brilliant. 😂

[@tomclemence8870]

Contemporary legend has it that the removal of great crested newts prior to improving the Catthorpe interchange cost £1000s each!

[@ginzy123]

Yes!! Been waiting for this one for so long! This is my local motorway! Can't wait for part 2 (there is a set of ghost slip roads near Penrith which time I drive past them I wonder!)

[@toxictony4230]

South of Junction 40? Yes. I'm waiting with baited breath.

[@kieranbeecroft8414]

My bet is a service station of non existence.... But yes, something I pass by a lot!

[@egpx]

@@kieranbeecroft8414 Yeah, I'm sure it was an intended service station. I remember a 'Services in X miles' sign on the northbound carriageway having a gap where waiting to be filled in when the services were completed. It might even be still there.

[@somslovensky959]

Before my nan passed away, me and my family used the Catthorpe interchange at its peak once a fortnight, both before and after the upgrades (in the direction M1 to A14). The upgrade resulted in up to 10 minutes saved on the journey, so yes it was a colossal improvement!

[@JohnR31415]

Used to commute across it… I get lost now 😂

[@bigdarbs19]

There were also a number of fatal accidents where HGV's ran into the back of stationary traffic queuing up to the junction, both on the M6 and A14.

[@mickyday2008]

When I was very young my dad worked as a surveyor at the M6 site office next to the bridge with no steps near Rugby mentioned at the beginning of the video. We drove along the M6 in his works van before the section was opened with me sitting on his lap doing the steering. One of my earliest memories.

[@slan0305]

100k soon hopefully. thanks for all the videos

[@AutoShenanigans]

Not long to go!, Thanks for watching

[@simonhill2820]

Remember the old Catthorpe interchange . It was indeed very dangerous with the slip roads and signal controlled mini roundabouts. A work colleague of mine sadly lost his life at that junction in 2001 running into stationary traffic. You had to be paying full attention as the traffic would often suddenly shudder to a halt just after the Rugby turn. Back in those days i was working in road haulage and i would position my lorry in the outside filter lane and have my foot covering the brake pedal as vehicles would pull out of the stationary traffic into fast moving lanes . As you can imagine a fully freighted 44 tonne lorry requires a much larger stopping distance compared to a car , which some motorists would not take into consideration when pulling out.

[@marc21091]

Thank you for the final aerial shot after the captions. You are standing in the heart of Cannock Chase, a heathland area unlike anywhere else in the West Midlands. It is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and may be the smallest AONB in Britain. Between Cannock and Stafford.

[@spitfire1962]

Also well known as a dogging site!

[@Technaudio]

I was going to say 'with a stock car racing track in the middle of it' But I think its not actually *in* Cannock Chase?

[@freeitstafford]

​@@Technaudio you're thinking of Hednesford Hills, which technically is in the 'chase' as the AONB itself is enormous

[@hairyairey]

Second largest country park in the UK too. Largest being Great Windsor Park and third being Rutland Water.

[@nemo6686]

Heading northbound, you'd generally get more time than desired to watch the workings of Bescot Yard as you crawled along in traffic backed-up from J10.

[@Hollaraedulioe]

Well done. Most canals of all episodes so far. then again, hard to avoid them in and around B'ham.

[@nickhill2223]

The Catthorpe Interchange was doomed to failure from the start, originally the B5414 Catthorpe to Swinford Road, where it passed under the M1 and M6, the underpasses were utilised to provide the junction linking the 'new' A14 to the M1/M6, when the final phase from Rothwell to Catthorpe was opened in 1994. The A14 soon was taking considerably more traffic than it was ever designed to do, and so the Catthorpe Junction simply couldn't cope, resulting in massive queues on all approaches. The new layout is vastly superior, I have never come across a delay there yet, under normal conditions. The area around the junction was found to be home to the Great Crested Newt, a protected species. Therefore when the upgrade works started suitable precautions had to be provided to keep the Newts safe. Apparently, the cost of these precautions, versus number of Newts found, meant the work had cost in the region of £30K per Newt. Going up the M6 into Warwickshire, the services that were never built were to be known as 'Harborough Magna', although commercial mapping often referred to them as 'Stretton-under-Fosse services'.

[@alantheskinhead]

I clearly remember the Catthorpe crash on the bridge joining the M1. I think at the time it was the biggest pile up in UK history. I seem to recall it was due to fog that has plagued the area due to the River Avon and meadows. You would of thought the clue was in the name "Avon" which is an old word for river. So really could be called the River River! My late father worked for a large electrical design company in the 70's/80's and they designed the fog warning lights we used to see when you joined the motorway (2 amber lights in a rectangle box) at J21 where we lived at the time. Later my father designed a system that detected fog and automatically tripped the warning lights then in later years tripped gantry warnings. This also became used at airports. Now we have digital radar weather mapping so it became obsolete. But in those days it was a beam of light fired some distance that detected water droplets, thus fog. Also near Catthorpe is the Lilbourne castle mound. A near perfect motte and bailey. Before my father moved to Leicester they lived just above Gravelly Hill (he was born on the canal tow path now under the the M6!). He clearly remembers watching Coventry burning in the Blitz when he was a kid as they lived on "The Hill". His father was injured at the massive power station that stood where Star City now stands during an air raid. His mother worked at Fort Dunlop for a long time making aviation equipment. His sister's to be husband worked for Birmingham City Council was in the involved in the now partially gone "Castle Vale" housing estates and tower blocks. I clearly remember my dad saying that the M6 was built on the cheap and that it will need rebuilding in the 80's/90's due to cheap concrete and connectors!

[@BritishBeachcomber]

My favourite motorway secret is Fleet services on the M3. When i lived nearby, I could use the staff access road into the services to get onto the motorway, avoiding a 10 mile trip to the nearest junction.

[@AutoShenanigans]

You and everyone else it seems :D It's known as the "Fleet cheat"

[@gilleyb1900]

Wicked sweet awesome John!

[@matthewskinner4814]

Thanks again John. Your videos are bloody good watch. Don’t change!

[@AutoShenanigans]

Thanks a lot mate, glad you enjoy them!

[@Benjaminduduu]

Love your videos. Really funny in places too. Love the proper British humour

[@stewartwestwood5534]

Another brilliant episode. 🎉😅

[@Firestorm.aiRClan]

I used to go to Norwich from the Midlands for work on occasion and old Catthorpe was always backed up in both directions. Freeflowing the M6 to the A14 is infinitely better than what went before. Also, Gravelly Hill, as in made of Gravel - the sort that you make paths with 🙂

[@adrianrutterford762]

Totally agree. I used to travel from Norfolk to Nuneaton. The new set up is way better.

[@egbront1506]

The A14 up to Cambridge is basically a motorway already. If the M6 hadn't started at the Catthorpe Interchange, the A14 might have just been an M6 continuation. I suppose it could be the first motorway with a Junction 0 and minus numbers for the successive junctions going east.

[@MikeWooshy]

@@egbront1506 If you head South on the M6 toward Catthorpe the road sign does actually say M1 left M6 straight ahead (A14). Suggesting at a later date the M6 could indeed continue. Would the junction numbers go to minus numbers like on one of the French Autoroutes (I cannot remember the number for the life of me) ?

[@egbront1506]

@@MikeWooshy Yes, I've seen the sign but I don't think an upgrade or name change is in the offing for now as most traffic heads off to the M1. It just means M6 continues to Catthorpe after which it's the A14.

[@EdgyNumber1]

*Mate, prior to its reworking in 2014 the Catthorpe Interchange was a f'king disaster!* Everyday it was congested. They built this rubbish on the cheap, squeezing ALL traffic onto a squashed roundabout under the bridge. The slipway was ALWAYS blocked, certainly coming off the southbound from the M1. It was the first time I ever felt how the ABS worked in a car because I had to very quickly drop from 70mph to 10mph because of the morons pulling in and out of lanes ahead. It was dangerous AF. Most people baulk at the cost of road projects in this country but I am telling you, this was one junction that so sorely needed to be rebuilt. Along with improvements here, there were major improvements to the A14, and the A14 to M11 links. Its pretty much quick andseamless now, and a massive, massive improvement between getting from my home in the West Midlands to see my folks down in Essex. In fact I used to hate it very much and preferred to take the A45-M1-M25-A12. But with all the average speed cameras down the M1 in particular, and being converted to smart motorway, I avoid that route at ALL costs. These days, my route is A38(M)-M6-A14-M11-A120-B1008-A130 ...the only potentially painful bit being the B1008 between Stansted Airport area to Essex Regiment Way down by Little Waltham. However, in light traffic hours, it is much, much faster than sticking to my previously preferred route.

[@Srevelation]

M6 holds a special part in my heart as 1st place i was legally allowed to rag a bus haha. Working the commonwealth games in Birmingham and transporting spectators along the m6 overtaking cars is still a big thing i remember about the event

[@scu3795]

Help me. I made the mistake of googling why the m50 junctions were not the same as other motorways and I fell down a rabbit hole and haven't been able to stop watching Jon since!!

[@AutoShenanigans]

Nice one mate, thanks for watching!

[@Stephen_The_Waxing_Lyricist]

Salford Junction, the canal junction under Spaghetti Junction, is just so peaceful. It's underneath one of the busiest motorway junctions in the country, yet that deafening sound is no more than a bit of peaceful white noise.

[@jamesmaybrick2001]

Ive lived around Brum my entire life, been on that junction countless hours. Never once set foot under it though. Going to have to add it to my list of things to do. :)

[@Stephen_The_Waxing_Lyricist]

@jamesmaybrick2001 one thing I wish it had though is a bench seat. I did a walk of the canal "triangle" (Salford Junction is at the top) and have my lunch at the junction. Nowhere to sit!

[@Reggyontheroad]

Hi John, I live very close to junction 10 and I have been filming its progress in my own way. I’ve been thrown off twice if you want to use any of the footage in your film films you are perfectly welcome when you find them just put in Reggyontheroad reggy m6 j10 you might find them. I haven’t always entitle them the right way, but I’ve been following that junction since I spotted the beams on the road being delivered there. I’m very glad you mentioned Junction 11 is being reworked. I will be keeping a very close eye on it and trying to film it at regular periods last for the working on it, I have lots and lots and lots of questions about junction 10. I would love to have a meet up and speak about it. I hope you enjoy my films I’ve been watching you from the very beginning you are a fantastic filmmaker thank you and keep up the good work

[@bfapple]

1:10 the A14 arrived at the original Catthorpe Interchange in the 90s. 2010 was when the rebuild was consulted on.

[@ClaretHorace]

HGV driver, use Catthorpe almost every shift. Have no issues with it. Runs pretty smoothly, even at peak times.

[@MrTytalus]

Oh the Spaghetti Junction: the bane of my mum’s journeys to see her sister in Warwick from Stockport. We never went the same way twice 😂 Now I know why: it’s more slip road than motorway! Great work, see you next week.

[@pigeonpoo1823]

I quite enjoyed it in the back of a rover 414i. Don't think my dad did hahaha

[@AuroDHikoshi]

It's only good if you don't have to use it

[@MrTytalus]

@@pigeonpoo1823 mine was as a 8 YO in a clapped out Austin Alegro, with all the signs covered up due to road works. 🤪 Boy did I learn to read road signs fast. 😝

[@DitzyNizzy2009]

1:12 - Note about this: the A14 was linked into the Catthorpe Interchange in 1994, not 2010.

[@tdyerwestfield]

Excellent. I'm going up the M6 soon (not a euphemism) and was about to search through your old videos to find it but here it is.

[@pd4165]

DEFINITELY a euphonium.

[@lewis72]

1:10 "When the A14 came along in 2010" ? A14 here came along in 1994, when this new section of the A14 replaced the A45, which had taken you through Northampton. The new Interchange is seamless. The old one could hole you up for 20 mins or so as the bridge underneath the M1 was only wide enough for 1 lane of traffic west - East. Both directions of traffic had to use 2 small roundabouts.

[@vinniesuperstar8923]

"Speaking of wasting money"........ Brilliant segue and the Catthorpe Interchange is a magnificent piece of civil engineering. Remarkable how much better that junction is now.

[@rossbuchanan7632]

I am consistently and persistently astounded how a chap in a beanie hat manages to make west-midlands concrete absolutely enthralling. A strange combination of dull minutae and too-many- words-per-minute narration and we are spellbound. Good stuff!

[@Voltaic_Fire]

Are you doing the A roads after the motorways?

[@godzillas6301]

Fort Dunlop .... The building was called ground based stores ...... guess who worked at Dunlop 🙂 The basement had 9 foot of water in it ! The tyre production of aircraft tyres has nowt to do with the car tyres . Goodyear bought us out , flogged off the area to the richardson brothers and star city rose out the ashes of real jobs .

[@richardnewton1653]

Thanks

[@AutoShenanigans]

Thanks a lot mate, appreciate that!

[@Voltaic_Fire]

We're not exactly flush with cash right now, that silly vanity project should have its funding reallocated to giving low income housing solar/wind power and storage.

[@chrisatye]

Loving your work - including this week’s TV theme tune at the end (I can’t remember the show it came from..!) *edit* Family Fortunes, of course!!

[@jwesty85]

I worked at Bescot rail depot for a few years. I was the one known for leaving the water on that filled the RHTT trains and flooding all the depot pits that ran the full length of the maintenance building ooops.

[@zygonwhoboy03]

As a resident of Rugby at J1 with family just down the A14, I can confirm that the new Catthorpe Interchange is a vast improvement. For the M6-A14 transition, the road just carries on opposed to a turn off to one of those really weird elongated roundabouts under a very narrow bridge wide enough for 2 cars or 1 lorry. I do believe this is likely the most used path (other than staying on the M1) for cars at least since if you are heading north, the M69 cuts off a corner if you're coming from Cov or getting on at J20 of the M1 in Lutterworth from Rugby is quicker and conversely, the A45/M45 is quicker heading south or J18 at Crick and DIRFT.

[@bazingaeffect4155]

Lazerpig sent me here, great video can't wait for more

[@AutoShenanigans]

Welcome along, thanks for sticking around .

[@DaveP1991]

As someone from the Midlands who moved to Norfolk and regularly drove the A14. The new Catthorpe interchange is the second best thing to happen to the A14 in recent years. The best thing being the Huntingdon Bypass.

[@nofider1]

Hello Jon. Glad you had a nice day.... One of the best episodes yet IMHO for what its worth..... Keep up the vlogging, Makes my day, Thank you. :-)

[@Feakre]

The new Catthorpe interchange is superb, I've never had a holdup there since the work was finished. The old double roundabout was a complete nightmare. A good example of planners getting something right, just like the A14/A14 interchange at Cambridge and the A14/A14 interchange at Huntingdon. It's possible now to drive from Felixstowe to the M6 and therefore Gretna without hitting a single roundabout.

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

This series is far more entertaining than it has any right to be

[@jez5182]

4:06 That prayer thingy is based on a mathematical object called a mobius strip. You can make one yourself by putting a half twist in a strip of paper before joining the ends together in a loop. (You have 381 comments so far and I haven't read them all so if anyone has already mentioned this they are correct). Keep up the good work.

[@Rorschach.]

Jon finally tackles The Beast that is the M6 and it's one of the best videos yet. "Does anybody use the Catthorpe Interchange?" Top trolling, sir. I have to say that the CI is now much better following that actual upgrading upgrades - though that didn't stop a lorry driver hanging his truck off the end of a bridge a couple of weeks ago. [Only 11.9k to go.]

[@TheCoasterSpot]

Love your videos but honestly I don’t even care what you talk about anymore I just love your presentation so much…

[@Cadcare]

Alan here. I'm still waiting for the video on the A47 Norwich Bypass. That fancy music at the end of this one wont suffice, although I do like it. Thanks, Alan

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Jon outstanding in his field of telling the secrets of the motorway of the M6. Have to admit looks quite scenic with the ducks ands swans next to Spaghetti Junction. The drone footage of the rail depot looked amazing. Another brilliant video as always.

[@AutoShenanigans]

Nice one, Thanks for watching!

[@sr6424]

At junction 4 . If you are on the M42 north bound and want to go north on the M6 - it’s a normal slip road. It the opposite direction m6 south to M42 south you go on a massive detour.

[@emergencylime]

8:39 Jeez, how big is your drone? It's casting a shadow over the whole depot?

[@AutoShenanigans]

10 metre rotors. Under 250g though so... :D

[@cheekymonkehady7234]

Catthorpe interchange - as a LGV driver from the area, the biggest problem causing a lot of fatalities at the time from J1 was chancer car drivers not willing to queue, nipping in from lane 2 causing a domino effect of late braking further back which ultimately ended with cars being crushed between lorries , totally oblivious to their sly actions causing loss of life further back . SCARIEST MOMENTS - A14 to the left ,M1 to the right , M6 in front ...my learner driver GF from swinford sitting at 5000 rev's to get over the roundabout in between light changes , wheel spinning , with me in her ear "don't stall it babe" (she passed lol ) big improvement with the upgrade , but far from perfect, they did away with a perfectly useable old slip that would link m6 to m1 north . so now when their are accidents/incidents it all backs up along the A roads =ask the drivers Mr designer !

[@RikMcCloud]

I remember the congestion at Catthorpe but it was the quickest route for me to get to Rockingham. The new junction is a night and day improvement over the old roundabouts!

[@guffermeister]

Agreed. It is what it should have been from the start. Even when it was originally opened it was totally inadequate.

[@lloydbentley3342]

Greatly informative and amusing! 🤩

[@AutoShenanigans]

Thanks a lot mate :)

[@Rs500ybd]

Wildlife and farm traffic tunnels all motorways have them. ex HA Comms Engineer. good vids.

[@nicholashortonjustice4rebe378]

As someone who lives in Walsall, The Junction 10 Redevelopment of the M6 has caused so much Chaos.

[@trevorwilliams6815]

Some interesting facts come out in these films. Thanks. But what about the section of the M6 southbound where it goes from four lanes to three losing the fast lane?

[@ynot6473]

@ 7.00, sorry John, i burst out laughing when that balance beam moved!

[@Dave1976.]

Loved the bit on the canal, when you went to sit on the locks, and it started moving slowly. I've been to Bescot in my Train spotting days, it's a massive yard there as seen in your vlog. Takes me back many years. Look forward to your next one.

[@AutoShenanigans]

I had to leave it in, it made me giggle :D

[@BlameAmes]

J7, great barr's a bit of an odd one - a weird roundabout where the sliproads on the western side of the junction (so, joining the motorway westbound and leaving it eastbound) merge from the inside of the roundabout

[@garyhinson3876]

the absolute destruction of every piece of land in the vicinity of HS2, show why these projects are so expensive

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

There's this idea that the run-off of rainwater from the catenaries, tracks, trains and ballast has to be captured in special ponds before it's released into the surrounding area. There's hundreds and hundreds of them being dug alongside the scar of the double track route. Probably for the best but a few lungfuls of brake dust made me who I are.

[@garyhinson3876]

@@JP_TaVeryMuch So in the name of been environmentally friendly, these catchment pools are more important than the environment they destroy?. Just seems a lot of a faff to construct what is I 10 metre strip of trackbed across the land. I suppose in days before modern train brakes the iron dust created wasn’t a problem

[@philtucker1224]

John your drone work is impeccable.

[@lickyagyalcuz]

HGV driver that uses Cathorpe Interchange nearly daily, only bad bit is no link to M1 South from the A14, so have to drive up to M6 J1 and back down the M6, fortunately it’s not very far

[@smidsy4747]

Looking forward to Pt2. Hopefully you'll cover the strange footbridge by Jct 14, that has a gate on it. Looked on Google earth a few times but can't really workout it's purpose. It's always intrigued me.

[@AutoShenanigans]

I'm not sure if we're talking about the same bridge but part 2 might be what you're looking for ;-)

[@lb57508]

They recently finished the roundabout style junction 10 redevelopment - and it works... it's a pretty good roundabout! Also, the A14 junction is equally great... if you're heading straight onto the M6 anyway.... Love the video, this covers most of my commute.

[@lb57508]

I'd love to know why they seem to have dug a small trench to every lamppost along the M6 stretch that goes through Birmingham. it's a right pain in the @ss to drive over them and have your car bump every second for about 20 minutes..

[@ricequackers]

I used to shuttle between Cambridge and Manchester back in 2015-2017 and regularly saw the rebuilding of the Catthorpe interchange. It's a massive improvement and really should've been built this way from the start. On my wish list is the full conversion of the A14 to a proper A14(M) motorway since it's busy with trucks heading for Felixstowe. It's mostly motorway grade anyway, just need to rework a few junctions and widen to six lanes where needed.

[@Rockthecasbah3535]

The Service Station was going to be called Harborough Magna where the ghost slips are Won't happen now as they built Rugby Services at Junction 1 opened In 2021 the newest on the Motorway Network.

[@jmarsh769]

I use J10 fairly regularly and always joke that they just leave the cones there ready for the next ‘improvement’. I imagine they’ll soon reinstate the hard-shoulder through there as soon as the current project ends!

[@tobyjackman3212]

This is the best video I've ever seen about anything

[@stretchclogg]

I live just off J4 in Chelmsley Wood, may I congratulate you for not getting mugged and having your drone nicked! 😂 Formerly the largest housing estate in Europe when built and one of the largest New Towns never designated as such. 3:12

[@godzillas6301]

also at one point called the most deprived council housing estate in Europe ! ...... Lived and bought up there , went to Smiths wood school etc etc .

[@KidarWolf]

Mhmm, my auntie used to live in Chelmsley Wood, and I very much have to agree wit hthis assessment!

[@mrglide7078]

Probably the funniest thing ever to happen to Solihull - when the whole shebang got shunted inside its boundary in 1974 😂

[@godzillas6301]

@@mrglide7078 You can just imagine the horror at every council meeting . The woods knocked up , filled with reprobate baby boomers and the old boy society is forced to accept them under there fold ? It became painfully obvious as a kid fnding his way in the world that brummies thought we were posh twats ( huh?) from soul-lee-hall and yet the solihillians considered us a puss filled spot somewhere distant on the map and nothing to do with them .

[@andysvehiclehistorychannel]

I see the Dunlop factor when i go to visit my cousin in Portsmouth it used have it's own railway line to

[@riderramblings]

Claim to Fame! I sold some stock control software I'd written for the Sinclair ZX81 (a 16K RAM pack was the minimum requirement) to Dunlop in Fort Dunlop - I seem to recall there were dinosaurs roaming the area at that time 😂.

[@KJRuns]

Probably best not to ask how I got here 😆 I love your dry sense of humour 😅

[@saltbjorn]

Hi, i use the catthorpe interchange regularly between the a14 and m1 north - it’s actually very good and free flowing, works perfectly fine except could use a second lane going from m1 south to a14 on the slip road

[@jimmyquinn9639]

Another good video ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🚘👍👍👍

[@jonathonbrett-qn1ic]

Brilliant video fantastic information and facts Love your shows Thank you

[@robertdempster7408]

About the repairs to Gravelly Interchange/Spaghetti Junction; a relative, who was a senior official in the Highways Agency, told me that the repairs were not needed due to cost-cutting during construction but that it was simply 'worn out' from constant traffic.