Roads that should have been dual carriageway

[Mark45]

Hey. Not sure what to put as subject. I thought it would be interesting to discuss roads-that-should-have-been-dual-carriageways and if anyone knows where to obtain plans to these roads and if they are to be finished at one point. One road that I can think of on the top of my head is A5076/Talavera Way in Northampton where I think there were clearly plans for a dual carriageway. I present you with a logical explanation why the road was designed to be dual carriageway and physical evidence why it should be.

Firstly, the logical explanation: the industrial estate (shown top left)where this road leads to are indeed dual carriageway. Also the 4-lane roundabout connecting to this road is simply designed for a dual carriageway as there are signs and enough road space before it merges into a single carriageway.

https://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=52.277096, ... 6&t=k&z=18

Secondly, the physical evidence by google maps, which I think you will clearly agree shows that it was planned by my MS paint skills!


Not to mention the bridge (to the far right of the picture) is constructed and seems to accommodate an additional 2 lanes!

I think situations like this a real pain since during peak times/heavy periods this will easily solve massive congestion problems. It does not make sense why it just merges into a single carriage way like this!

What do you guys think and do you drive on similar roads like this?

[Lockwood]

A3 Thursley to-
never mind.

[dragonv480]

The A18 all the way through Doncaster has a consistently wide set-aside along virtually all of it, with the added hints that footbridges have been built as if the set aside was built as carriageway, such as here (GSV of an example bridge) and here (satellite view of a different bridge on same road). A very long stretch indeed was obviously considered as a dual-candidate.

You can tell the various 50s/60s new towns too, as they usually have lots of long sweeping roads, with wide setasides, and bridges built wide in readiness for upgrades that were mever needed/never happened.

[DunsBus]

The A1 between Morpeth and Dunbar.

Enough said...!

[Delenn]

A133 from A120 to outskirts of Clacton - bridges were built 2 carriageways wide.

[CrackersA361]

I spotted an example fairly recently when travelling down to Wallingford on the A4074. Many roundabouts in the area are approached on both sides by D2 which quickly narrows down to S2 as you drive away from the roundabout, a good example being here.

There are also a few examples of ridiculously wide carriageways and areas of land set aside from the existing carriageway clearly wide enough for another two lanes.

The fact that at its northern end the road is nicely dualled with a lovely little GSJ compounds my belief that the A4074 and A4130 (together formerly the A423) was meant to be a principle route to Oxford from the south east and the M4.

This short stretch of D2 just outside Henley on Thames could also strengthen this case.

[Chris Bertram]

That may be the case, but unfortunately, Henley-O-T is a traffic nightmare due to narrow streets and five fairly busy A-roads converging on the town centre. Some sort of by-pass would be needed, and a new, modern bridge over the Thames - specifically over the Regatta course - would doubtless be resisted tooth and nail by the locals. The geography would be a bit challenging as well, with Remenham Hill on the Berkshire side of the river.

[Burns]

The northern half of the B969 in Glenrothes has all it's bridges designed for a second carriageway to be built under as well as having a large flat strip of grass following it up to the A92. I don't really use the road so I don't know if an upgrade would be needed (I doubt it), however, they could fix the mess that is the at grade junction with the A92. At the same time, they could remove the S2 on the A92 Glenrothes bypass and grade separate the Redhouse, Bankhead and Preston roundabouts.

[Klaxon]

The A89 from Newbridge to Bathgate link and the A71 past Livingston link have verges set aside, however the A71 only has S2 bridges

(Also fwiw I drove through Henley once and would go out of my way to never again, spent an hour crawling through the village for no measurable reason)

[Beardy5632]

A49 between Ross and Shrewsbury (via Hereford)!!

[geo449]

Half the roads in Telford look like they are waiting for dual carriageway. Even the streetlights are built with the other half missing!

I wouldn't quite agree with the A49, though. I have used it a few times and I have never noticed too much traffic. Sure I have been stuck behind the odd lorry but I have never been to "inconvenienced."

The A5 between M6 J12 and the A461 junction should be D2. Or at least bring back the NSL limit, especially between Gailey and Cannock!

[Johnathan404]

Basingstoke Ring Road (I suspect a lot of new towns* will appear here)

* - yes, I know Basingstoke isn't one, hold off with the QI klaxon!

[Jonathan B4027]

I spotted an example fairly recently when travelling down to Wallingford on the A4074. Many roundabouts in the area are approached on both sides by D2 which quickly narrows down to S2 as you drive away from the roundabout, a good example being here.

There are also a few examples of ridiculously wide carriageways and areas of land set aside from the existing carriageway clearly wide enough for another two lanes.

The Sandford on Thames bypass was part of the Oxford ring-road schemes and the Dorchester bypass was never intended to be D2 AFAIK, I don't think the farm track overbridge is big enough.

[si404]

The old A423 has always looked to me to be a 'upgrade what you can, as cheaply as you can get away with' type route. See also the former trunk section of A413.

[CrackersA361]

The old A423 has always looked to me to be a 'upgrade what you can, as cheaply as you can get away with' type route. See also the former trunk section of A413.

I do know what you mean, the A4260 to the north of Oxford to Banbury is in a similar state, with an odd short section of D2 in the middle of nowhere.

But the wide space in some areas surely points at further planned upgrades that were never realised? I was probably a bit too wishful in imagining a bigger purpose for the road, but there can be no argument that it was in line for further improvements at one time or another.

Having said that, I love the idea of an improved S2 rural A road with sweeping curves and good sightlines that allow it to be travelled at good speed, with the odd section of D2 thrown in every 10 or so miles to break the traffic up. The A4260 is the ideal example of this, where traffic levels were never high enough to warrant a full dualling project so smaller, cheaper but just as useful improvements were made that allowed the road to be travelled at speed without being dangerous like so many rural roads can be.

I think too often we all jump at the idea of dualling all sorts of roads or upgrading them unnecessarily if we had the money available, when in reality the improvements required are quite a lot smaller. That's not to say D2 sections aren't useful, I think they're superb, and the A423 from Banbury to Coventry could really use a section, perhaps on the already existing Ladbroke bypass which is high standard S2, or at Fenny Compton wharf. The rest of it however is mostly just improved S2 which can be travelled on quickly and safely and it would be a shame to ruin what is an excellent road (especially for us bikers!) with bland D2.

[owen b]

Vauxhall Way (A505) is the obvious local example. It connects to dual carriageways at each end, and for most of the length room has been left for the second carriageway. The only trouble is that the roundabouts might not cope with yet more traffic on them. Hatters Way is another good local example, but of course the Luton-Dunstable guided busway is being built where they could have put a second road carriageway.

[PeterA5145]

The old A423 has always looked to me to be a 'upgrade what you can, as cheaply as you can get away with' type route. See also the former trunk section of A413.

In earlier, happier times there does seem to have been a tendency to upgrade rural A-roads piecemeal with little thought for the wider picture. See the A536 here.

In the early 80s I was living in Surrey and - in pre-M40 days - often used the the A423 between Maidenhead and Banbury to travel home to visit my folks in Cheshire. In those days of less traffic, no Gatsos and no stupid rural limits, I tended to regard it as a pretty "fast" road

[Erath]

The A89 from Newbridge to Bathgate

This continues on the A7066 (part actually dualled), A706 and B7066 to Newhouse - basically the entire length of the Glasgow and Edinburgh Road, the 1930s new-build A8.

[Truvelo]

In the original post Talavera Way was indeed meant to be D2 along with an underpass at the A43 roundabout. In addition to this it was meant to continue west beyond Red House Road towards another GSJ at Kings Park Road. The junction at Red House Road would have been a GSJ as well with Red House Road forming a loop around the south of Talavera Way.

[Trebeck]

The A89 from Newbridge to Bathgate

This continues on the A7066 (part actually dualled), A706 and B7066 to Newhouse - basically the entire length of the Glasgow and Edinburgh Road, the 1930s new-build A8.

A nice drive when you are bored of the M8.

The A7066 was dualled to improve traffic at the old Leyland factory?

From this neck of the woods - the A801 http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=A89,+EH ... 6,,0,-3.51