Recovering Breakdowns on the A14 Around Exning and Kentford Junctions
The A14 around Newmarket is one of the busiest freight routes in East Anglia. This guide explains what to do if you break down near the Exning or Kentford junctions and how your vehicle is recovered safely.
Why the A14 Around Newmarket Is a Demanding Place to Break Down
The A14 carries freight between the Midlands and the port of Felixstowe. Around Newmarket it also carries A11 traffic heading to and from Norwich. A breakdown here means fast moving lorries only feet away which makes the first few minutes the most important.
The section between Exning and Kentford forms part of the Newmarket bypass. Between junctions 36 and 38 the A14 and A11 run together on a dual three lane road. East of junction 38 the A14 continues towards Kentford and Bury St Edmunds. Knowing which junction you are near and which direction you are travelling is the single most useful thing you can tell a recovery operator.
What to Do the Moment Your Car Starts to Fail
If you feel a problem building try to reach the next junction slip road or a lay by. Leaving the main carriageway is always safer than stopping on it. If you cannot make it pull as far to the left as you can and onto the verge if there is room. Then switch on your hazard lights.
If You Can Get Out Safely
Leave by the nearside door away from traffic. Get behind the safety barrier where there is one and move well back from the carriageway. Take everyone with you. Keep pets in the car unless there is an emergency. Then call for recovery.
If You Are in a Live Lane
If you cannot get out safely stay in the car with your seatbelt on and hazard lights on. Call 999 straight away. Do not try to push the car or put out a warning triangle on a dual carriageway of this speed.
Need Recovery From the A14?
Once you are safe we can recover your car from the A14 around Newmarket to your home, your garage or our workshop.
How an A14 Recovery Is Carried Out
The operator asks which junctions you are between and whether you are eastbound towards Bury St Edmunds or westbound towards Cambridge. Marker posts on the verge and a what3words reference give an exact position.
If you are in a live lane the police or National Highways may close the lane before recovery can start. On the verge the recovery driver will position the truck to protect the scene.
A recovery truck can only reach you from the correct carriageway. If you are westbound near Kentford the driver may need to go up to the next junction and come back. Local knowledge of the junction layout saves time.
Repairs are rarely attempted beside fast traffic. The car is usually loaded onto the recovery vehicle and taken to a safe place before anything else is checked.
The car is taken home, to your chosen garage or to our workshop. You and your passengers travel in the recovery vehicle cab where seats allow.
A14 Junctions Around Newmarket at a Glance
Use this table to describe your position. Tell the operator the last junction you passed and the next one you were heading for.
| Junction | Location | Roads | Recovery Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| J36 | Swaffham Bulbeck area | A11 towards the M11 and London | A14 and A11 run together east of here. Give the direction of travel clearly. |
| J37 | Exning and north Newmarket | A142 to Ely, Soham and Fordham | Busy junction for town traffic. Slip roads are a safer place to stop than the main carriageway. |
| J38 | Between Exning and Kentford | A11 north to Thetford and Norwich | Merging and diverging traffic. Say whether you are on the A14 or already on the A11. |
| J39 | Kentford and Gazeley | B1506 to Kentford and Newmarket | Eastern approach to Newmarket. Rural roads nearby can be used to reach you from the right side. |
Other Fast Roads Around Newmarket
West of junction 36 the A11 heads towards Cambridge and the M11. Many drivers use both roads on the same journey. Our guide to A11 Newmarket to Cambridge covers what to do if you break down on that stretch.
The advice for a fast dual carriageway is close to the advice for a motorway. If you also drive on smart motorways our guide to Smart Motorway Breakdown Safety explains how to stay safe when there is no hard shoulder.
If a broken down car is left where it causes danger the police can arrange for it to be removed. Our guide to Police Enforced Recovery explains when that happens and what it costs.
What to Keep in the Car for A14 Journeys
Help can take time to reach you on a busy dual carriageway. Keep these in the car so a breakdown is safer and easier to deal with:
- Hi vis vest for every passenger. Put them on before you leave the car if it is safe to do so.
- Charged phone and power bank. A flat phone on a dark verge makes everything harder.
- Warm coat and water. Waiting behind a barrier in winter can be cold even for a short time.
- Breakdown and recovery numbers. Save them in your phone and keep a written copy in the glovebox.
- what3words app. Gives an exact three metre position even between junctions.
- Working spare wheel or repair kit. Check it before a long trip rather than at the roadside.
More Newmarket Recovery Guides
Explore every guide in our Newmarket silo covering race days, the A11, horseboxes and more.
Local Recovery on the A14 Near Newmarket
Recovering a car from a fast dual carriageway is about more than having a truck nearby. The driver needs to reach the right carriageway, position safely and load quickly. Knowing the layout of junctions 36 to 39 makes a real difference to how long you wait.
For breakdowns on the A14, the A11 or anywhere in and around the town our Car Recovery Newmarket service covers Exning, Kentford, Newmarket and the surrounding villages with clear pricing agreed before we set off.
For more local advice read through our full collection of Newmarket Car Recovery Guides.