A1(M) Junctions 40 to 46: Ferrybridge to Wetherby
This is where the northern A1(M) begins: from Darrington past Ferrybridge and the M62, through the point where the M1 ends and merges in, to the A64 and Wetherby. Reports for this stretch are shown below.
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Latest accident or incident on the A1(M)
The most recent accident or incident on the A1(M) that we are aware of.
Latest active roadworks on the A1(M)
Roadworks live on the A1(M) right now.
A1m northbound Jct 36 entry slip road closure
03:2626 Sept 2026reported 6 min ago
- Location
- A1(M) J36 northbound access
- Direction
- Northbound
- Lanes closed
- Carriageway closed
- Reason
- Maintenance work
- Schedule
- 20:00 Fri 25 Sept 2026 → 06:00 Sat 26 Sept 2026
Latest planned roadworks on the A1(M)
The next planned roadworks scheduled on the A1(M).
A1M Jct 63 to Jct 62 Southbound Lane 1 Closure (2)
03:2626 Sept 2026reported 6 min ago
- Location
- A1(M) southbound between J63 and J62
- Direction
- Southbound
- Lanes closed
- Lane closures
- Reason
- Road improvement or upgrading
- Schedule
- 20:00 Fri 25 Sept 2026 → 06:00 Sat 26 Sept 2026
Forecast - not confirmed
+ 15 more planned roadworks - search all A1(M) traffic news →
Search all the latest A1(M) traffic news →
Updated 03:32 Sat 26 Sept 2026
Powered by National Highways’ Transport Data Feeds.
The junctions on this stretch
- Junction 40 — northbound, the exit for Hull on the M62, Pontefract on the A162 and Ferrybridge services. Southbound, the motorway ends here and the road continues as the A1 towards Doncaster.
- Junction 41 — the M62: northbound for Manchester and Leeds, southbound for Hull, Manchester and Ferrybridge services.
- Junction 42 — the A63 for Leeds and Selby.
- Junction 43 — the M1. Northbound this is where the M1 joins; southbound you can leave for the M1 towards Leeds and London and the M62 towards Manchester.
- Junction 44 — the A64 for York and Leeds.
- Junction 45 — the A168 for Wetherby and the A659 for Otley.
- Junction 46 — the B1224 for Wetherby and York, with Wetherby services.
Where the M1 meets the A1(M)
The M1’s last numbered junction is its Junction 48; after that it merges into the A1(M) at Junction 43. The effect on the counts is dramatic. Between Junctions 42 and 43 the A1(M) carries 54,607 vehicles a day. Between Junctions 43 and 44, with the M1 traffic added, it carries 142,783 — the busiest count on the whole road. See the A1(M) and M1 link roads and M1 Traffic.
How busy is this stretch?
| Stretch | All vehicles | Lorries | Share lorries |
|---|---|---|---|
| J40 to J41 | 67,876 | 12,000 | 17.7% |
| J41 to J42 | 65,075 | 10,802 | 16.6% |
| J42 to J43 | 54,607 | 9,917 | 18.2% |
| J43 to J44 | 142,783 | 18,044 | 12.6% |
| J44 to J45 | 109,039 | 15,806 | 14.5% |
| J45 to J46 | 86,149 | 18,005 | 20.9% |
Between Junctions 41 and 42 there are three count points; we show the busiest, with 63,273 and 61,915 at the others. Between Junctions 45 and 46 a second point records 83,481. Slip roads at Junction 42 and the split carriageways at Junction 44 are left out.
Wetherby
Wetherby Racecourse is near the A1(M) here, so this stretch can be busier on race days. Past Wetherby, lorries are more than a fifth of all traffic — the highest share on the A1(M).
Building the northern motorway
This stretch was upgraded piece by piece: Junctions 43 to 44 in 1999, the length from Junction 40 to south of Junction 43 in 2005 and 2006, with the southern M62 interchange on 13/01/2006, and Junctions 44 to 46 in 2009.
For the M62, see Traffic News England. Previous section: Junctions 34 to 38. Next: Junctions 47 to 56.
Traffic count figures on this page are from the Department for Transport road traffic statistics, 2025.