A303 Bridge with the 90 degree bend at Wylye

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A303Paul
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A303 Bridge with the 90 degree bend at Wylye

Post by A303Paul »

Does anyone remember that infamous bridge with the 90 degree bend at Wylye.

You went up a ramp and turned 90 degrees at the top to cross the railway. It was a monumental bottleneck - not least the summer Friday evening my father broke down on the corner travelling westbound 8-)

Does anyone know if there are any photos of it anywhere, aerial or ground level

Also anyone know when it was demolished and all the stones piled up on the old A303 on the westbound side of the bridge. (it was several years after the bypass opened)
SteveA30
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Post by SteveA30 »

I remember it, lorries had to use the whole road to get round w/bnd.

I don't know of any photos of it as it was unfortunately.
There are some taken in 2007, currently on P2 of the A300-399 Gallery but, I presume you have seen them already.
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RichardA35
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Post by RichardA35 »

Try herewith a search for A303 - the Wiltshire and Swindon record office seem to have photos of all the improvements to the A303 through Wiltshire - although now based at Chippenham rather than Trowbridge
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A303Chris
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Re: A303 Bridge with the 90 degree bend at Wylye

Post by A303Chris »

A303Paul wrote:Does anyone remember that infamous bridge with the 90 degree bend at Wylye.

You went up a ramp and turned 90 degrees at the top to cross the railway. It was a monumental bottleneck - not least the summer Friday evening my father broke down on the corner travelling westbound 8-)

Does anyone know if there are any photos of it anywhere, aerial or ground level

Also anyone know when it was demolished and all the stones piled up on the old A303 on the westbound side of the bridge. (it was several years after the bypass opened)
When was that then. I have been going down the A303 since 1978 as a 9 year old when my grandparents moved to Chard. Have always known the Wyle section as dual carriageway. You are given your years away there.
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A303Paul
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Post by A303Paul »

RichardA35 wrote:Try herewith a search for A303 - the Wiltshire and Swindon record office seem to have photos of all the improvements to the A303 through Wiltshire - although now based at Chippenham rather than Trowbridge
Ooh this looks interesting!
A303Paul
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Post by A303Paul »

RichardA35 wrote:Try herewith a search for A303 - the Wiltshire and Swindon record office seem to have photos of all the improvements to the A303 through Wiltshire - although now based at Chippenham rather than Trowbridge
Ooh this looks interesting!
t1(M)
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Post by t1(M) »

RichardA35 wrote:Try herewith a search for A303 - the Wiltshire and Swindon record office seem to have photos of all the improvements to the A303 through Wiltshire - although now based at Chippenham rather than Trowbridge
According to the site, it reopened today, after the move!

The listing suggests the Wylye bypass was built in the 1960s. Certainly it is difficult to trace the old line on Google Earth
A303Paul
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Post by A303Paul »

t1(M) wrote:
RichardA35 wrote:Try herewith a search for A303 - the Wiltshire and Swindon record office seem to have photos of all the improvements to the A303 through Wiltshire - although now based at Chippenham rather than Trowbridge
According to the site, it reopened today, after the move!

The listing suggests the Wylye bypass was built in the 1960s. Certainly it is difficult to trace the old line on Google Earth
Bypass opened 1975 -looks like either they relate to pre bypass plans or there is an error on the website

You have really got to know where you are looking to trace much of the old road
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Re:

Post by Robbie George »

t1(M) wrote:
RichardA35 wrote:Try herewith a search for A303 - the Wiltshire and Swindon record office seem to have photos of all the improvements to the A303 through Wiltshire - although now based at Chippenham rather than Trowbridge
According to the site, it reopened today, after the move!

The listing suggests the Wylye bypass was built in the 1960s. Certainly it is difficult to trace the old line on Google Earth
Well the Wylye bypass opened in 1975 i can remember the old route and the bridge it was a tricky route i don't have any old photos but i do have lots of old routes as they appear today including the old A303 on flicker as well as Sabre.. :roll:
WHBM
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Re: A303 Bridge with the 90 degree bend at Wylye

Post by WHBM »

Interesting to trace this one back on Old Maps, which shows the alignment of the road, presumably before the railway was built, as a very obvious track straight through the area. The dogleg over a bridge is shown on the 1887 map, so is likely to have been there from when the railway here was built (1856).
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ScottB5411
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Re: A303 Bridge with the 90 degree bend at Wylye

Post by ScottB5411 »

the google streetview car has actually been up the stub to the old bridge!

Old A303
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Truvelo
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Re: A303 Bridge with the 90 degree bend at Wylye

Post by Truvelo »

Sabre Maps has coverage of the bridge in 1:25000 scale which show how severe it must have been.
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wrinkly
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Re: A303 Bridge with the 90 degree bend at Wylye

Post by wrinkly »

I was unaware of this bridge until now. The map dated 1978-1980 on old-maps shows the old bridge and the new bypass together. The best map showing the bridge without the bypass is the 1939 one. Both of these are at 1:2500.
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Re: A303 Bridge with the 90 degree bend at Wylye

Post by Robbie George »

A303Paul wrote:Does anyone remember that infamous bridge with the 90 degree bend at Wylye.

You went up a ramp and turned 90 degrees at the top to cross the railway. It was a monumental bottleneck - not least the summer Friday evening my father broke down on the corner travelling westbound 8-)

Does anyone know if there are any photos of it anywhere, aerial or ground level

Also anyone know when it was demolished and all the stones piled up on the old A303 on the westbound side of the bridge. (it was several years after the bypass opened)
The old bridge is seen in a railway book called Salisbury to Westbury...Middleton press Also the bridge was gated when first closed in the summer of 75 and demolished in 1976 i can remember the bridge and the long slow clime up the A303 I have lots of photos of the old route as it is today on Flicker.. :driving:
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Re:

Post by Robbie George »

SteveA30 wrote:I remember it, lorries had to use the whole road to get round w/bnd.

I don't know of any photos of it as it was unfortunately.
There are some taken in 2007, currently on P2 of the A300-399 Gallery but, I presume you have seen them already.
I have added some more of the old route at Wylye as well as Andover and Old A36 A350 on sabre :driving:
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A303Chris
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Re: A303 Bridge with the 90 degree bend at Wylye

Post by A303Chris »

As i said 4 years ago, i never remembered this layout. The whole A36 / A303 layout through Wyle pre the improvments must have been awful to drive through at most times, looking at the maps. Thankfully I only remember the post improvements
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M5Lenzar
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Re: A303 Bridge with the 90 degree bend at Wylye

Post by M5Lenzar »

And we think the A303 is bad now. Amazing that such poor quality roads were allowed to be major routes.
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Re: Re:

Post by crazyknightsfan »

Robbie George wrote:Well the Wylye bypass opened in 1975 i can remember the old route and the bridge it was a tricky route i don't have any old photos but i do have lots of old routes as they appear today including the old A303 on flicker as well as Sabre.. :roll:
What's the link to your pictures mate?
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Re: Re:

Post by Robbie George »

:driving:
crazyknightsfan wrote:
Robbie George wrote:Well the Wylye bypass opened in 1975 i can remember the old route and the bridge it was a tricky route i don't have any old photos but i do have lots of old routes as they appear today including the old A303 on flicker as well as Sabre.. :roll:
What's the link to your pictures mate?
The old road photos can be seen on Flicker RWG A303 there mainly of the A303 from the A30 down to Wylye also is the A36 A350 or just Google Images Old Abandoned roads uk
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Re: A303 Bridge with the 90 degree bend at Wylye

Post by crazyknightsfan »

^ This seems to be the link
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61521912@N ... 623325218/

Looks like some good stuff in there...
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