Should the Darlington by pass be dualled?

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Mark Hewitt
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Re: Should the Darlington by pass be dualled?

Post by Mark Hewitt »

KeithW wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:21 1) The A66 is a strategic road running from Teesport to Workington
It's already a liberty calling the entire thing A66 when there's a massive gap in it between Scotch Corner and Darlington. I don't think moving that gap a bit further North makes much difference.
2) Having a junction at Great Burdon where 3 roads intersect all bearing the number A66 would be odd to say the least.
Why would it be three? I would imagine the A66 would freeflow over or around Great Burdon and continue with the same number to the A1(M) whereas the current A66 Darlington bypass would have another number.
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Chris Bertram
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Re: Should the Darlington by pass be dualled?

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Mark Hewitt wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:56
KeithW wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:21 1) The A66 is a strategic road running from Teesport to Workington
It's already a liberty calling the entire thing A66 when there's a massive gap in it between Scotch Corner and Darlington. I don't think moving that gap a bit further North makes much difference.
"Massive" gap? It's no more than 5 miles between Scotch Corner and the A66(M) diverge from A1(M). If you think that's massive, then A449 would like a word.
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Bryn666
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Re: Should the Darlington by pass be dualled?

Post by Bryn666 »

Or the major concurrences along the A470 :laugh:
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Re: Should the Darlington by pass be dualled?

Post by Chris Bertram »

Bryn666 wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 13:38 Or the major concurrences along the A470 :laugh:
Indeed, in particular A487 says "bore da".
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Re: Should the Darlington by pass be dualled?

Post by Robert Kilcoyne »

Chris Bertram wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 14:54
Bryn666 wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 13:38 Or the major concurrences along the A470 :laugh:
Indeed, in particular A487 says "bore da".
And the A44 is the hidden partner in the multiplex between Rhayader and Llangurig.
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Re: Should the Darlington by pass be dualled?

Post by Chris Bertram »

Robert Kilcoyne wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 15:49
Chris Bertram wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 14:54
Bryn666 wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 13:38 Or the major concurrences along the A470 :laugh:
Indeed, in particular A487 says "bore da".
And the A44 is the hidden partner in the multiplex between Rhayader and Llangurig.
I have personally seen the Rhayader end of that. I have never yet been to Llangurig.
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Re: Should the Darlington by pass be dualled?

Post by Robert Kilcoyne »

Chris Bertram wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 12:16
Mark Hewitt wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:56
KeithW wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:21 1) The A66 is a strategic road running from Teesport to Workington
It's already a liberty calling the entire thing A66 when there's a massive gap in it between Scotch Corner and Darlington. I don't think moving that gap a bit further North makes much difference.
"Massive" gap? It's no more than 5 miles between Scotch Corner and the A66(M) diverge from A1(M). If you think that's massive, then A449 would like a word.
And so would the A46 (albeit it results from the building of the M69 motorway and the subsequent downgrading of the old road between Coventry and Leicester).
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Re: Should the Darlington by pass be dualled?

Post by Chris Bertram »

Robert Kilcoyne wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 16:02
Chris Bertram wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 12:16
Mark Hewitt wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:56

It's already a liberty calling the entire thing A66 when there's a massive gap in it between Scotch Corner and Darlington. I don't think moving that gap a bit further North makes much difference.
"Massive" gap? It's no more than 5 miles between Scotch Corner and the A66(M) diverge from A1(M). If you think that's massive, then A449 would like a word.
And so would the A46 (albeit it results from the building of the M69 motorway and the subsequent downgrading of the old road between Coventry and Leicester).
A50 has a bit of a gap filled by M1, and so does A616 around Sheffield.
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Re: Should the Darlington by pass be dualled?

Post by KeithW »

Mark Hewitt wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:56
KeithW wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:21 1) The A66 is a strategic road running from Teesport to Workington
It's already a liberty calling the entire thing A66 when there's a massive gap in it between Scotch Corner and Darlington. I don't think moving that gap a bit further North makes much difference.
2) Having a junction at Great Burdon where 3 roads intersect all bearing the number A66 would be odd to say the least.
Why would it be three? I would imagine the A66 would freeflow over or around Great Burdon and continue with the same number to the A1(M) whereas the current A66 Darlington bypass would have another number.
There is no massive gap, the A66 multiplexes with the A1(M) between J53 and J57 hence the elongated slip being the A66(M). Multiplexing is hardly uncommon, see A11 and A14 on the Newmarket bypass for example. There is even a non motorway route through Barton that joins the A66 at the same roundabout as the A66(M). This was the route of the A1 before the Darlington bypass was built.
https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/ind ... =Multiplex

Traffic heading from Teesside to the A66 would be very badly served by your suggestion which would effectively increase the length of the Multiplexed section from under 4 miles to in excess of 11 miles and create a real gap in the route

From the SABRE Wiki: Multiplex :

Multiplex is unofficial terminology created by SABRE for a section of road where two numbered routes meet, share the same piece of road for a distance then go their separate ways again.

The term is much used on SABRE but is not in general use by professional road engineers or administrators. Normally it is officially the case that each section of road has only one number, and the existence of a multiplex in a particular location is more of an inference rather than an indisputable

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Glenn A
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Re: Should the Darlington by pass be dualled?

Post by Glenn A »

It's a glaring anomaly, having the pathetic S2 approach to the Darlington by pass, and the by pass itself, which by passes a town of 80,000 people, being S2. I think this is a case of building a by pass on the cheap, which sometimes happened in the mid eighties to early nineties( the A75 upgrade being a major case in point), and then having a road which is now unfit for purpose at busy times.
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