A1(M) Junctions 57 to 65: Darlington to Washington
The last stretch of the A1(M) runs through County Durham, from the A66(M) for Darlington past Durham and Chester-le-Street to Washington, ending at Junction 65 at Birtley. 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 57 — the A66(M) for Darlington and Teesside, a part junction.
- Junction 58 — the A68 for Darlington, Bishop Auckland and Corbridge.
- Junction 59 — the A167 for Newton Aycliffe.
- Junction 60 — the A689 for Bishop Auckland, Hartlepool and Teesside.
- Junction 61 — the A688 for Spennymoor and the A177 for Peterlee, with Durham services.
- Junction 62 — the A690 for Durham and Sunderland, and the A691 for Consett.
- Junction 63 — the A167 for Chester-le-Street and the A693 for Stanley.
- Junction 64 — the A195 for Washington and Birtley. Washington services is between here and Junction 65.
- Junction 65, Birtley — the A1231 for Sunderland and Washington, and the A194(M) for the Tyne Tunnel and South Shields. The A1(M) ends here.
The oldest northern miles
This is the original northern motorway, built long before the Yorkshire sections: Junctions 56 to 59 around Darlington opened in 1965, Junctions 59 to 63 in 1969 and Junctions 63 to 65 in 1970.
How busy is this stretch?
| Stretch | All vehicles | Lorries | Share lorries |
|---|---|---|---|
| J56 to J57 | 67,138 | 7,833 | 11.7% |
| J57 to J58 | 44,487 | 6,744 | 15.2% |
| J58 to J59 | 57,127 | 6,486 | 11.4% |
| J59 to J60 | 53,973 | 6,339 | 11.7% |
| J60 to J61 | 64,569 | 6,351 | 9.8% |
| J61 to J62 | 74,602 | 7,084 | 9.5% |
| J62 to J63 | 69,398 | 6,381 | 9.2% |
| J63 to J64 | 91,500 | 6,497 | 7.1% |
| J64 to J65 | 92,444 | 6,332 | 6.8% |
| J65 to the A1 | 64,710 | 4,433 | 6.9% |
Traffic falls to its lowest on the northern A1(M), 44,487, just after the A66(M) leaves at Junction 57. From Durham it climbs again, passing 90,000 between Chester-le-Street and Washington. Several stretches here are recorded at two or three count points with identical figures, shown once. A 24,476 link to the A195 at Junction 64 is left out.
After Junction 65
North of Birtley the road becomes the A1 again, running as the Gateshead and Newcastle Western Bypass towards Newcastle and Northumberland. See A1 traffic news and the A1 route guide. For the A66 and A194(M), see Traffic News England.
Previous: Junctions 47 to 56. All sections: A1(M) maps.
Traffic count figures on this page are from the Department for Transport road traffic statistics, 2025.