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I just found this interesting 1960 video showing 3 proposed routes for the top half of A491 between M5 J4 and A456 in Hagley.
The map shows routes A, B and E, of which B was the A491 route actually built.
Route E was quite a bit to the west.
Route A would have taken today's A491 route from M5 J4 but only to today's roundabout (Bromsgrove Road / Broome Lane). Today the roundabout is there but A491 flies over the top of it. North of here, route A would have followed the existing Bromsgrove Road, and only later diverged towards today's A491/A456 roundabout at Hagley.
Last edited by gepree68 on Thu Nov 08, 2018 20:16, edited 1 time in total.
Route E looks like it would have been very close to the 'Stockbroker Belt' village of Belbroughton - Plenty of locals with the influence to get it thrown out I should think!
That is interesting. A quick look at the Worcestershire Archive catalogue reveals plans for route B but not the others. Presumably the others must have been out of the running by the time detailed plans were drawn up.
What I would be interested in seeing is if there were plans to dual the Sandy Lane section to the M5. It would seem strange to only dual part of it.
I must say I do admire the rather upmarket voices of the two gentlemen in that video.
How would you like your grade separations, Sir? Big and complex.
wrinkly wrote: ↑Thu Nov 08, 2018 18:07
If I click on the pictures I get an "adult content" message!
Sounds like Flickr trying to encourage people to upgrade from their free service to their paid-for service!
UPDATE: Switched from Flickr to Imgur, and it seems to work better.
gepree68 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 08, 2018 17:08
today's roundabout (Bromsgrove Road / Broome Lane). Today the roundabout is there but A491 flies over the top of it.
I have always thought that roundabout looks odd. It looks as though there ought to be slip roads to connect it to the A491.
PhilC wrote: ↑Fri Nov 09, 2018 21:04
I have always thought that roundabout looks odd. It looks as though there ought to be slip roads to connect it to the A491.
wrinkly wrote: ↑Sat Nov 10, 2018 23:29
Similarly there's a roundabout over the M3 at Camberley with no slip roads, and a roundabout over the M56 Sharston Spur.
I drive round those two quite frequently, I'm surprised it didn't register with me. I think it's because at those junctions I never want to get on the motorway, I would have done that a couple of junctions earlier. On the A449 I often want to get to the garden centre on the roundabout below and have have to take quite a detour to get to it.
gepree68 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 08, 2018 17:08
today's roundabout (Bromsgrove Road / Broome Lane). Today the roundabout is there but A491 flies over the top of it.
I have always thought that roundabout looks odd. It looks as though there ought to be slip roads to connect it to the A491.
Me too. In fact in my early driving career on that roundabout I had the unnerving feeling that Violet Lane and Bromsgrove Road actually were sliproads, leading to several circuits of the roundabout whilst I convinced myself otherwise.
Interesting video and proposals. Begs the question what happened to options C and D?