A1(M) Junctions 47 to 56: Harrogate to Scotch Corner
This stretch crosses North Yorkshire, from the A59 for Harrogate and York to Barton, north of Scotch Corner. It was the last part of the northern A1(M) to become motorway. Reports for this stretch are shown below.
The junctions on this stretch
- Junction 47 — the A59 for Harrogate, Knaresborough, York and Leeds/Bradford.
- Junction 48 — the A6055 for Boroughbridge, the B6265 for Ripon and the A168 for Dishforth.
- Junction 49 — the A168 for Thirsk and the A19 for Teesside.
- Junction 50 — the A61 for Ripon and Thirsk.
- Junction 51 — the A684 for Northallerton and Leyburn, and Bedale. This is Leeming Bar; the hamlet of Londonderry is beside the road here.
- Junction 52 — the A6055 and A6136 for Catterick, and Catterick Garrison, the largest British Army garrison.
- Junction 53, Scotch Corner — the A66 west for Penrith and Brough, the A6108 for Richmond, and Scotch Corner services.
- Junction 56 — the B6275 for Piercebridge and Barton.
Live traffic speed flow: A1(M) Junctions 46 to 49
Untick all three to see just the speeds. We show the important overhead signs and the mandatory speed limits (red ring); see every overhead sign.
Go to our live A1(M) traffic speed flow map ›
NOTE: The speed flow, overhead sign messages or other information shown on our live traffic speed flow map is updated every few minutes. We cross check the data and aim to provide warnings if there could be a delay or an inaccurate speed reading. There can be occasions, beyond our control, and despite our best efforts where the speed flow could be inaccurate. We cannot therefore guarantee the speed you can expect on any stretch of the motorway is always accurately shown. However we hope you will find our live traffic speed flow map a useful tool in trying to plan your journey. Safe driving.
The Leeming to Barton upgrade
For decades this was ordinary A1. The motorway advanced north in stages: Walshford to Junction 49 in 1995, Junctions 49 to 50 in October 2011, Junctions 50 to 51 on 31/03/2012 and finally Junctions 51 to 56, Leeming to Barton, completed in March 2018. That last piece made the A1 continuous motorway from Darrington to Washington.
How busy is this stretch?
| Stretch | All vehicles | Lorries | Share lorries |
|---|---|---|---|
| J46 to J47 | 81,909 | 16,500 | 20.1% |
| J47 to J48 | 85,818 | 14,660 | 17.1% |
| J48 to J49 | 82,350 | 14,257 | 17.3% |
| J49 to J50 | 59,112 | 9,717 | 16.4% |
| J50 to J51 | 54,826 | 9,572 | 17.5% |
| J51 to J52 | 68,276 | 9,673 | 14.2% |
| J52 to J53 | 61,570 | 9,179 | 14.9% |
| J53 to J56 | 69,459 | 7,578 | 10.9% |
© A1MTraffic.co.uk · Statistics from the Department for Transport
The biggest change is around Junction 49. Near Dishforth, beyond the spur towards the A168, the count falls to 50,755 as traffic for Thirsk and Teesside takes the A168 and A19. Between Junctions 49 and 50 a second count point records 52,567. Counts through Junctions 51, 52 and 53 themselves are 49,077, 53,900 and 55,476.
Scotch Corner and the A66
Scotch Corner is where the A66 leaves for Penrith and the M6 across the Pennines. For A66 reports, see Traffic News England.
Previous: Junctions 40 to 46. Next: Junctions 57 to 65.
Traffic count figures on this page are from the Department for Transport road traffic statistics, 2025.
Live traffic news at A1(M) Junctions 47 to 56
Incidents and roadworks between Junction 46 and Junction 57 that we are aware of.
A1M Approaching Jct 58 Northbound Lane 1 and Hard Shoulder Closure
04:42 (4:42am)10 Nov 2026reported 4 min ago
- Location
- A1(M) northbound between J57 and J58
- Direction
- Northbound
- Lanes closed
- Hard shoulder closed
- Reason
- Construction work
- Schedule
- 20:00 (8pm) Mon 9 Nov 2026 → 06:00 (6am) Tue 10 Nov 2026
Forecast - not confirmed
+ 4 more near Junctions 47 to 56 - see all the A1(M) traffic news →
This is the news for Junctions 47 to 56 only, not the whole A1(M). For the rest of the motorway see all the latest A1(M) traffic news, the overhead signs and the speed limits in force now.
Updated 04:47 (4:47am) Tue 10 Nov 2026