Unchanged Junctions

[mikehindsonevans]

A3-A31 was a flat junction until about the early 80s? Right hand lane to a traffic light controlled junction to cross the northbound A3 then S2 up to another flat junction with the A31?

There has been a bridge at the A3/A31 junction since the 1930s, so I wouldn't describe it as a flat junction.
It might have included flat junctions as constituent parts.

Definitely 1930s vintage concrete in the bridge which takes Hog's Back traffic over the A3 and down into Guildford - the bridge is a kindred spirit to the original version of Spitfire Bridge in the original Winchester Bypass.

[Owain]

... Not off the shelf standard rbts like today but, each one designed just for that location.

I drove through this one on Thursday night.

In fact I got to go round it twice, because I was following the A18 and missed my exit! I'm not sure how old it is, but it has bags of character.

Off topic, but the A18 can also boast a really cool bridge just west of Scunthorpe; it's very similar to the bridge on the A17, which I'd driven earlier that day.

[SteveA30]

Lovely shape, from the days when they tried to make as much of it freeflow as possible. Now, the top crossroads would be a standard signalised one. It seems as if the bottom A18 may have been 2 lane through the A161 junction once, with priority to the A18.

The junction near the A40/B4215 one at Westgate St Gloucester on the old bypass is another fine example of keeping the through traffic moving. Two lanes both ways originally probably, although the w/bnd side is now reduced to 1 lane at the join with the road from the town centre. They have also very sensibly put the entry and exit from the Retail centre on the 2 quietest parts of the rbt/circulatory system, which avoids the need for lights. There is even a footbridge instead of a pelican. Real thought has gone into that, proof that it can be done if the will is there.

[PeterA5145]

And how many examples can there be of a dual carriageway ceding to the mainline of a single carriageway? [Shame about the traffic lights!]

There will shortly be another one where the eastern end of the A555 meets the A6 just south of Hazel Grove.

Another example of a roundabout with non-standard priorities is the A60/A619 junction west of Worksop. I think the tendency is to convert them to standard priorities, though, as they are seen as potentially confusing. I recall there being non-standard priorities at the A34/A51 junction at Meaford north of Stone, but it's a standard roundabout now (albeit with a now-defunct pub inside it).

[Chris Bertram]

And how many examples can there be of a dual carriageway ceding to the mainline of a single carriageway? [Shame about the traffic lights!]

There will shortly be another one where the eastern end of the A555 meets the A6 just south of Hazel Grove.

Another example of a roundabout with non-standard priorities is the A60/A619 junction west of Worksop. I think the tendency is to convert them to standard priorities, though, as they are seen as potentially confusing. I recall there being non-standard priorities at the A34/A51 junction at Meaford north of Stone, but it's a standard roundabout now (albeit with a now-defunct pub inside it).

Birmingham has a couple (at least). There's A38/B4120 at Longbridge, where A38 southbound has priority over circulating traffic. Reconstructions and refurbishments here have always left the priorities unaltered.

Also on A456 Hagley Road West, at the "Hollybush" junction with two minor roads, A456 westbound has priority over turning traffic. Eastbound traffic must give way, however.

[Big L]

There are at least a couple of roundabout-a-like junctions in Wolverhampton too, in Compton and Bushbury. I wish I could get hold of the people that came up with the idea. The first of those is pretty busy, and just occasionally you get a stranger that treats it like an ordinary roundabout.

[Owain]

There's A38/B4120 at Longbridge, where A38 southbound has priority over circulating traffic. Reconstructions and refurbishments here have always left the priorities unaltered.

That junction is not what it used to be on account of what has changed around it. I remember driving through it when I drove my car right up to the famous gate outside a certain factory.

[Robert Kilcoyne]

There's A38/B4120 at Longbridge, where A38 southbound has priority over circulating traffic. Reconstructions and refurbishments here have always left the priorities unaltered.

That junction is not what it used to be on account of what has changed around it. I remember driving through it when I drove my car right up to the famous gate outside a certain factory.

And just behind the point where the Streetview picture was taken, part of the assembly line crossed the A38 by means of a bridge above the road.

[trickstat]

There's A38/B4120 at Longbridge, where A38 southbound has priority over circulating traffic. Reconstructions and refurbishments here have always left the priorities unaltered.

That junction is not what it used to be on account of what has changed around it. I remember driving through it when I drove my car right up to the famous gate outside a certain factory.

And just behind the point where the Streetview picture was taken, part of the assembly line crossed the A38 by means of a bridge above the road.

Would that be the bridge the 'Landcrab' was notoriously too wide for?

[Owain]

That junction is not what it used to be on account of what has changed around it. I remember driving through it when I drove my car right up to the famous gate outside a certain factory.

And just behind the point where the Streetview picture was taken, part of the assembly line crossed the A38 by means of a bridge above the road.

Would that be the bridge the 'Landcrab' was notoriously too wide for?

I thought the problem was that the model concerned (I'm not sure if it was the Landcrab or not) was too long to go around the corners in the tunnel!

[Owain]

A6/M6 at Carnforth and A591 at Kendal bypass were freeflow rbts for those numbers when built if I recall correctly.

Just a short distance north of there is a roundabout that functions in the normal way, but which is unusual in shape and which appears to be relatively unchanged from whenever it was constructed.

There's also a stretch of good-old-fashioned S3 between my roundabout and yours.

[ravenbluemoon]

A614-A6097

There's a similar junction south of Bawtry here: A614 - A638

The A614 multiplexes with the A638 north of here, regaining the A614 number north of town. Curiously, the A614 traffic gets full priority here - though historically the A638 arms of the junction are the historic Great North Road. So I'm suspecting this roundabout and it's sister were built around the same time as the A1 dualling in the area? Can't quite date it, as the A614 and A6097 through Notts are of a design standard (ex-S3/D2) quite common with 1930s unemployment relief roads.

[SteveA30]

Yes, it's the rbts that look conventional but, gave the trunk road priority throughout that I like. Not many that are unchanged now, most have been altered to conventional rbt priority.

[RichardA35]

The old A30/A303 one at Micheldever was one. A303 to A30 east was a straight line. A30 to A30(T) east had to give way then merge with the A303 via a second lane. A30(T) to A303 west had a straight line priority in to the rbt then around to the right and exit as normal. Both freeflow. The A30(T) to A30 west was also a straight line. Only the side road to Micheldever had to give way both ways. That side of the former rbt still exists. The eastbound side is gone but, can be traced on foot, even with gypsies present, which they were when I went!

I found a 1971 aerial photograph of this arrangement by chance today.

[Bryn666]

The old A30/A303 one at Micheldever was one. A303 to A30 east was a straight line. A30 to A30(T) east had to give way then merge with the A303 via a second lane. A30(T) to A303 west had a straight line priority in to the rbt then around to the right and exit as normal. Both freeflow. The A30(T) to A30 west was also a straight line. Only the side road to Micheldever had to give way both ways. That side of the former rbt still exists. The eastbound side is gone but, can be traced on foot, even with gypsies present, which they were when I went!

I found a 1971 aerial photograph of this arrangement by chance today.

A similar style to the A556 junction east of Middlewich. High speed circulation with tight u-turns usually mean problems.

[jnty]

https://goo.gl/maps/9sS6c8XqgYnbYiLp8

How about this on the A91? Has the right feel.

[KeithW]

... Not off the shelf standard rbts like today but, each one designed just for that location.

I drove through this one on Thursday night.

In fact I got to go round it twice, because I was following the A18 and missed my exit! I'm not sure how old it is, but it has bags of character.

Off topic, but the A18 can also boast a really cool bridge just west of Scunthorpe; it's very similar to the bridge on the A17, which I'd driven earlier that day.

The bridge is shown at least as far back as the OS 1:25,000 series and the GSV shows it as being a riveted construction rather than welded so most likely pre war. This fits with the fact that in 1937 the plant capacity for crude steel was 4.8 million tonnes per year and it was the largest in Britain.

[Ruperts Trooper]

... Not off the shelf standard rbts like today but, each one designed just for that location.

I drove through this one on Thursday night.

In fact I got to go round it twice, because I was following the A18 and missed my exit! I'm not sure how old it is, but it has bags of character.

Off topic, but the A18 can also boast a really cool bridge just west of Scunthorpe; it's very similar to the bridge on the A17, which I'd driven earlier that day.

The bridge is shown at least as far back as the OS 1:25,000 series and the GSV shows it as being a riveted construction rather than welded so most likely pre war. This fits with the fact that in 1937 the plant capacity for crude steel was 4.8 million tonnes per year and it was the largest in Britain.

Keadby Bridge - built 1912-1916 https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/ind ... e_(Keadby)

[SteveA30]

Good find Richard at Micheldever. I don't remember it being quite so treeless but, the evidence is right there. Just beyond is Strawberry Alley as I called it. The large verge on the left side was occupied by 5 or 6 strawberry stalls during the season.
As I then found a list of areas with thousands of photos, which will keep me here for ages, I'm inflicting it on everyone....Good luck
https://www.cambridgeairphotos.com/areas/

[ForestChav]

I'm not as good as other Sabristi on the history because I don't have the facts to support my theories .... but sometimes I look at or drive a road and I just get a 'feeling' that it's been that way since the age of black-and-white kerbstones. So how about these?


A614-A6097

Of course there are plans to alter some of the A614 and A6097 junctions including Warren Hill
https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/tran ... 7-planning

The site is a bit slow tonight to load actual plans, and my memory of looking before is a bit sketchy though.