Most Optimist Future Proofing

[alice]

A good example local to me is Boundary Road and the Boundary Roundabout. Both built on the assumption that the Wallisdown by-pass would eventually get built, they now look completely overblown.

Boundary Road: https://goo.gl/maps/VhkKSG9godgqXvoA7
is a very strange road. It was clearly built with intentions to expand, hence the wide pavements and service road. The southern part is completely separated from all side roads, with a huge pedestrian bridge across...all on an urban 30mph S2. The road itself is usually pretty quiet, as other routes are more convenient for most journeys

Then we get to the roundabout: https://goo.gl/maps/1LaiuFc3RrX5E2o66
Built for two lanes all around, it ended up with huge hatched off sections for many years. When the new link road into the university got built, some parts did get turned back into lanes but it's still far too grand for the roads it serves.

[Micro The Maniac]

There are two D2 width bridges (one an overbridge, one an underpass) on the M3 between junctions 4A and 5 near Fleet that seem to have been built with future proofing in mind. Also one on the M4 between the 2 Swindon exits near Wroughton that is D2 width.

I'm glad I read the full thread before replying!

The Minley Road (B3014), an otherwise unassuming S2 has a D2 capable bridge:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.29873 ... 312!8i6656

Hawley Lane (B3272, previously A327) has a D2-capable underpass at J4... even though there is no way that the rest of the road could possibly be D2ed
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.31453 ... 384!8i8192

Fleet Road (A323) likewise is fully provided
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.29357 ... 384!8i8192

[Micro The Maniac]

Junction 2 of the M53 takes some beating with it’s GSJ, slip roads flying all over and coming to an abrupt end at a small roundabout (having come to an abrupt end at village of Upton for years). I’d still love to know what was actually planned - whether a barrage across to North Wales or just a very quick way of getting to West Kirby beach...

Agreed... I'd like to know too.

As an aside, this un-numbered spur is longer (at 1.2 miles on its longest branch) than many of the numbered Ax(M) pathetic motorways...

[Peter350]

The M23 north of junction 8 (M25) must be the most overblown future-proofed motorway in England with three lanes (I believe) crashing into one at the unfinished Hooley terminus. If J8 was built today, we’d probably have the mainline M23 merging with the M25 westbound, and all the other movements catered for with a roundabout, while the link to the A23 north would be S2 or D2 standard.

[KeithW]

The M23 north of junction 8 (M25) must be the most overblown future-proofed motorway in England with three lanes (I believe) crashing into one at the unfinished Hooley terminus. If J8 was built today, we’d probably have the mainline M23 merging with the M25 westbound, and all the other movements catered for with a roundabout, while the link to the A23 north would be S2 or D2 standard.

Its really more of a future failed motorway. It was originally expected to head into south London and terminate on Ringway 2 in Streatham but for some odd reason the residents of south London didnt fancy having thousands of houses demolished and the government didn't want to pay for that to happen. In 1970 it was estimated that the 25 mile southern ring would cost £305m, including £63m for property purchase involving 1,007 acres and over 5,700 houses. Given the rate of inflation at the time It would have cost more than £ 1 billion to complete and the country was broke. In fact it had to be bailed out by the IMF in 1976 with public spending being slashed.

[KeithW]

Junction 2 of the M53 takes some beating with it’s GSJ, slip roads flying all over and coming to an abrupt end at a small roundabout (having come to an abrupt end at village of Upton for years). I’d still love to know what was actually planned - whether a barrage across to North Wales or just a very quick way of getting to West Kirby beach...

Agreed... I'd like to know too.

As an aside, this un-numbered spur is longer (at 1.2 miles on its longest branch) than many of the numbered Ax(M) pathetic motorways...

This is the point where I should say 'Sheesh does nobody read the Wiki or Pathetic Motorways any more '

There was talk in the late 1960's and 1970's of a Dee Barrage and the idea keeps popping up from time to time before dying in its due course as the true costs both financial and ecological become clear. However in 1972 Hansard shows that the idea had been adopted by the government of Ted Heath.
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1 ... e(Barrage)

Given the sheer size of the Dee Barrage presumably it was felt a spur from the motorway to the construction site was needed. Peter Walker secretary for Trade and Industry was pushing the project in the cabinet as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. The fact that he had been the Minister in charge of Transport in the Dept Of the Environment when the M53 spur at J2 was approved and built is not likely to be just a coincidence.

Then came the miners strike, the 3 day week and the labour party winning the election and that was the end of that pipe dream.

[Bryn666]

Junction 2 of the M53 takes some beating with it’s GSJ, slip roads flying all over and coming to an abrupt end at a small roundabout (having come to an abrupt end at village of Upton for years). I’d still love to know what was actually planned - whether a barrage across to North Wales or just a very quick way of getting to West Kirby beach...

Agreed... I'd like to know too.

As an aside, this un-numbered spur is longer (at 1.2 miles on its longest branch) than many of the numbered Ax(M) pathetic motorways...

This is the point where I should say 'Sheesh does nobody read the Wiki or Pathetic Motorways any more '

There was talk in the late 1960's and 1970's of a Dee Barrage and the idea keeps popping up from time to time before dying in its due course as the true costs both financial and ecological become clear. However in 1972 Hansard shows that the idea had been adopted by the government of Ted Heath.
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1 ... e(Barrage)

Given the sheer size of the Dee Barrage presumably it was felt a spur from the motorway to the construction site was needed. Peter Walker secretary for Trade and Industry was pushing the project in the cabinet as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. The fact that he had been the Minister in charge of Transport in the Dept Of the Environment when the M53 spur at J2 was approved and built is not likely to be just a coincidence.

Then came the miners strike, the 3 day week and the labour party winning the election and that was the end of that pipe dream.

A trumpet would have been much more efficient, indeed this is typical of the problems with predict and provide that what are now local exits like this have massive and unnecessary arrangements whilst the M1/M62 cross at a roundabout.

[Micro The Maniac]

This is the point where I should say 'Sheesh does nobody read the Wiki or Pathetic Motorways any more '

Indeedy PM states:

These two facts have led to some serious speculation about an extension to the west and over the Dee Estuary. This seems somewhat unlikely, and no evidence has yet been found to support it.

[owen b]

By far the best example in Luton is the unfinished GSJ at the SE corner of the inner ring with flared carriageways for a flyover that was never built. The inner ring was completed a few short years ago to a vastly lower standard at grade. If the flyover had been built it would presumably have taken a line taking a chunk out of the parcel of land at Power Court which a few weeks ago got planning approval for the new Luton Town stadium.

[ScottB5411]

Washington DC has some cracking future proofing for the once projected route of I-95 through the heart of the district. The built section is the northwards protrution of I-395, a random huge GSJ in the middle of nowhere and the huge intersection at the north side where I-95 and I-495 intersect and the stubs and all associated ramps (the end is now a weigh station) point forlornly towards nowhere, the line reserved is still clear however.

[Robert Kilcoyne]

[Indeedy PM states:

These two facts have led to some serious speculation about an extension to the west and over the Dee Estuary. This seems somewhat unlikely, and no evidence has yet been found to support it.

If there had ever been a plan to build a motorway over the Dee Estuary into North Wales, it would have made a nonsense of any plan to extend the M53 south of Junction 5 towards Queensferry as the only traffic which would have used the Hooton/Queensferry motorway would have been traffic heading from Liverpool/Wirral to North Wales, and a motorway over the Dee Estuary would have catered for almost all of that traffic.

[lefthandedspanner]

[Indeedy PM states:

These two facts have led to some serious speculation about an extension to the west and over the Dee Estuary. This seems somewhat unlikely, and no evidence has yet been found to support it.

If there had ever been a plan to build a motorway over the Dee Estuary into North Wales, it would have made a nonsense of any plan to extend the M53 south of Junction 5 towards Queensferry as the only traffic which would have used the Hooton/Queensferry motorway would have been traffic heading from Liverpool/Wirral to North Wales, and a motorway over the Dee Estuary would have catered for almost all of that traffic.

Unless the prospective Dee estuary motorway was tolled - which, given the high cost of construction, it almost certainly would have been had it been built.

[chaseracer]

One I used to experience regularly when Musical Offspring was at RNCM...

Hulme, Manchester: the massive junction where Greenheys Lane crosses Princess Road, plus the exceptionally wide central reservation northward towards the Mancunian Way.

[ScottB5411]

I'm amazed I've managed to mention Whitebirk roundabout, associated slips and a sizable amount of reserved land for the M65 in Blackburn before Bryn

*edit

Speaking of which, what's going on with the new build road to nowhere shown on Google at the Burnley Rd roundabout on the line of the original M65 plans? Screenshot attached

[stu531]

The A59 was of course intended to be the original express road to Yorkshire; the Whalley/Clitheroe Bypasses opened in 1970 with provision for future dualling on this basis. The M65 rendered it redundant and further A59 improvements went down the proverbial.

The dual bit between the two A671s is not original, this was completed in around 1998 or so. The middle roundabout for the service area and housing developments was done at the same time. I think this was part of a detrunking deal.

All in all, the decision to not dual the A59 has been a poor one as there have been numerous fatals at the at-grade junctions. You'll also have noticed all the two-way traffic repeaters as a result of bad overtakes ending in disaster.

I'm doing this stretch pretty much daily now and yes, I think it's been notorious for it. The newly altered roundabout between Clitheroe and Pendleton, I suspect, is partly as a result of this.

Interesting timing on the question because I noticed this had been published not too long ago. Not so informative, but still printed.

I think the middle roundabout, although built, was only actually made use of in relatively recent times; certainly within the 2010s. It's another example of future proofing I guess. Another example is the A59/A666 junction, which of course is massively over-engineered in anticipation of the previously mentioned expressway works. In fact I think the entire stretch between that roundabout and the eastern end of the Chatburn bypass, close to the old Lancs/Yorks border, has built-in expansion options.

[Bryn666]

I'm amazed I've managed to mention Whitebirk roundabout, associated slips and a sizable amount of reserved land for the M65 in Blackburn before Bryn

*edit

Speaking of which, what's going on with the new build road to nowhere shown on Google at the Burnley Rd roundabout on the line of the original M65 plans? Screenshot attached_IMG_000000_000000.jpg

That's the A678 diversion which is currently being finished and will open this year as Carl Fogarty Way.

It's the final part of Pennine Reach.

[PhilC]

The underpass portal at the top of Bell Hill, Northfield, Birmingham (now the B4121). It was built when the road was dualled and never went any further. It has long since been filled in. It has its own thread so I shan't duplicate any of the information here.

[stuartf]

The western end of the A823(M) approaching Dunfermline terminates at a massive roundabout which was obviously designed to allow a motorway bypass north of Rosyth. Optimistic at the time, and now even more unlikely due to the new Queensferry Crossing (meaning less need to divert via Kincardine Bridge), the decline of Rosyth as a port, the alternative route chosen for the A92, and the closure of Longannet power station (pretty much the last industry to the west). Maybe some day they'll build a distributor road for new housing on the old route, but it won't have a free-flow motorway underpass.

[B4444]

When our bungalow, behind the white wall, and the next two along were built in 1955, we were required to set the front boundary back for a proposed Princes Risborough bypass. If you turn 360, that was never going to happen on that alignment, because of the low-headroom railway bridges.

[Peter350]

I'm amazed I've managed to mention Whitebirk roundabout, associated slips and a sizable amount of reserved land for the M65 in Blackburn before Bryn

*edit

Speaking of which, what's going on with the new build road to nowhere shown on Google at the Burnley Rd roundabout on the line of the original M65 plans? Screenshot attached_IMG_000000_000000.jpg

That's the A678 diversion which is currently being finished and will open this year as Carl Fogarty Way.

Whose idea was it to name a road after a 2014 I’m a Celebrity contestant?