Was something meant to be constructed at the A533 Southern Expressway roundabout?

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Kkervinjones
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Re: Was something meant to be constructed at the A533 Southern Expressway roundabout?

Post by Kkervinjones »

I live right by here (on Palacefields estate). Unfortunately the planned junction 11a of the M56, which will have seen this roundabout changed in some form, was cancelled due to not be financially viable, which for me is a great shame, as it would have made it much easier and quicker to get onto the motorway. Now I'm just stuck with having to either go through Preston Brook for J11, or using the horrible new slip road from the Southern Expressway to the Weston Link (for J12).

I'm very surprised it was cancelled to be honest with the amount of (HGV) traffic having to go through Preston Brook for the Whitehouse Industrial Estate.
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Re: Was something meant to be constructed at the A533 Southern Expressway roundabout?

Post by JackieRoads »

Truvelo wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 20:53 I don't have any large scale drawings but I do have overall plans showing the full extent of the proposed expressways.
Hmmm it shows that the A533 dual carriageway would have gone closer to the M56, before looping around like that. And Google Maps shows that Junction 11 would have had a link road connecting to that "loop around".

But if you look at the neighbourhoods in the area, it'll show that the loop could be difficult to complete.....
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Re: Was something meant to be constructed at the A533 Southern Expressway roundabout?

Post by Bryn666 »

JackieRoads wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 10:47
Truvelo wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 20:53 I don't have any large scale drawings but I do have overall plans showing the full extent of the proposed expressways.
Hmmm it shows that the A533 dual carriageway would have gone closer to the M56, before looping around like that. And Google Maps shows that Junction 11 would have had a link road connecting to that "loop around".

But if you look at the neighbourhoods in the area, it'll show that the loop could be difficult to complete.....
The south east side of Runcorn is younger than the plans, when it became apparent the expressway ring wasn't being finished they just built the houses.

You can see traces of the money running out where the Southern Expressway has a wide central reservation to avoid the need to reroute the 400kV supergrid line. This will saved a good few hundred grand if not a million or two in itself.
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Re: Was something meant to be constructed at the A533 Southern Expressway roundabout?

Post by fras »

We came this way again today, as I wanted to drive over the old Runcorn bridge, now it's all been tarted-up. I have to say they've done a lovely job, it looks brand new ! There is now a nice wide cycleway on the east side, and the traffic lanes are now much wider, albeit it is S2 but traffic was minimal. Getting onto the bridge to go south across the Mersey is clearly only intended for the locals, because it is totally unsigned. This is the old bus-only access to the bridge, and all you see are the "C" signs for toll charges. nothing else
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.35350 ... 6656?hl=en
Before I set off, I did due diligence and discovered that if I'd gone round the western part of the Expressway, (Weston Point Expressway) as we always used to, from the bridge, I would have had no access to the A533 towards Northwich, there is no right turn link. So we turned east at the new roundabout to get to the new roundabout for the new bridge on the south side. All hope of rapid progress has been firmly crushed by a 40 mph limit and traffic lights at all the roundabouts, but we tootled along nevertheless. What puzzles me is why this junction is a figure 8. There seems no logic in it; why not just a conventional large roundabout ?
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Re: Was something meant to be constructed at the A533 Southern Expressway roundabout?

Post by Truvelo »

Bryn666 wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 14:26
JackieRoads wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 10:47 Hmmm it shows that the A533 dual carriageway would have gone closer to the M56, before looping around like that. And Google Maps shows that Junction 11 would have had a link road connecting to that "loop around".

But if you look at the neighbourhoods in the area, it'll show that the loop could be difficult to complete.....
The south east side of Runcorn is younger than the plans, when it became apparent the expressway ring wasn't being finished they just built the houses.

You can see traces of the money running out where the Southern Expressway has a wide central reservation to avoid the need to reroute the 400kV supergrid line. This will saved a good few hundred grand if not a million or two in itself.
Here's some more plans. The first one shows the wide central reservation for the pylons. The junction layouts for the sections which were built matches those on the ground so this must be a later plan.

The second one shows details of the individual houses. All the junctions connecting the various elements of the expressways are trumpets. There is no evidence of a wide central res for the pylons on this plan. This map shows the M56 passing over J11 instead of beneath it.

The coloured plan shows the eastern side of the loop with at-grade roundabouts. The gaps for the pylons on the Southern Expressway are clearly evident, so is another gap at the northeast corner of the loop for another power line.
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Re: Was something meant to be constructed at the A533 Southern Expressway roundabout?

Post by Rambo »

Truvelo wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 20:57
Bryn666 wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 14:26
JackieRoads wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 10:47 Hmmm it shows that the A533 dual carriageway would have gone closer to the M56, before looping around like that. And Google Maps shows that Junction 11 would have had a link road connecting to that "loop around".

But if you look at the neighbourhoods in the area, it'll show that the loop could be difficult to complete.....
The south east side of Runcorn is younger than the plans, when it became apparent the expressway ring wasn't being finished they just built the houses.

You can see traces of the money running out where the Southern Expressway has a wide central reservation to avoid the need to reroute the 400kV supergrid line. This will saved a good few hundred grand if not a million or two in itself.
Here's some more plans. The first one shows the wide central reservation for the pylons. The junction layouts for the sections which were built matches those on the ground so this must be a later plan.

The second one shows details of the individual houses. All the junctions connecting the various elements of the expressways are trumpets. There is no evidence of a wide central res for the pylons on this plan. This map shows the M56 passing over J11 instead of beneath it.

The coloured plan shows the eastern side of the loop with at-grade roundabouts. The gaps for the pylons on the Southern Expressway are clearly evident, so is another gap at the northeast corner of the loop for another power line.
These are great. No Daresbury expressway on the maps. And the short spur from the M56/A56 to the unbuilt section. Overall i think Runcorn did quite well in comparison to the new town areas of nearby Warrington. i agree though that the current roundabout / A56 / Preston Brook section is not ideal. I’m not sure there is space to put a junction in for the M56. Interestingly HE have just cleared all of the vegetation around by the bridge over the M56 at that roundabout..
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Re: Was something meant to be constructed at the A533 Southern Expressway roundabout?

Post by Kkervinjones »

Rambo wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 22:07These are great. No Daresbury expressway on the maps. And the short spur from the M56/A56 to the unbuilt section. Overall i think Runcorn did quite well in comparison to the new town areas of nearby Warrington. i agree though that the current roundabout / A56 / Preston Brook section is not ideal. I’m not sure there is space to put a junction in for the M56. Interestingly HE have just cleared all of the vegetation around by the bridge over the M56 at that roundabout..
The vegetation has been cleared as they're still going to replacing the aged bridge over the M56 as it's beyond it's serviceable life. Be prepared for roadworks/closures in the area soon. If you're on the M56, you'll noticed the bridge is currently being held up by temporary pier.
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Re: Was something meant to be constructed at the A533 Southern Expressway roundabout?

Post by Britain »

Kkervinjones wrote: Sun May 16, 2021 16:20
Rambo wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 22:07These are great. No Daresbury expressway on the maps. And the short spur from the M56/A56 to the unbuilt section. Overall i think Runcorn did quite well in comparison to the new town areas of nearby Warrington. i agree though that the current roundabout / A56 / Preston Brook section is not ideal. I’m not sure there is space to put a junction in for the M56. Interestingly HE have just cleared all of the vegetation around by the bridge over the M56 at that roundabout..
The vegetation has been cleared as they're still going to replacing the aged bridge over the M56 as it's beyond it's serviceable life. Be prepared for roadworks/closures in the area soon. If you're on the M56, you'll noticed the bridge is currently being held up by temporary pier.
A year later and you were absolutely right. I've driven that section of motorway hundreds of times since that pier was erected yet I've never noticed it.

I didn't realise the plans for J11a were scrapped. I remember reading the plans and being frustrated they were turning it into a giant signal-controlled crossroads instead of a grade separated junction like J11.
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Re: Was something meant to be constructed at the A533 Southern Expressway roundabout?

Post by Paul »

Apologies for tagging on the end of general Runcorn discussions but I assume this great elevated stub road, which has been recently demolished along with all the remedial works at the southern end of the Silver Jubilee Bridge—but which is still visible on Google Earth for the time being—was intended to be the approach to the parallel bridge that was never built?
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Re: Was something meant to be constructed at the A533 Southern Expressway roundabout?

Post by Bryn666 »

Paul wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 12:42 Apologies for tagging on the end of general Runcorn discussions but I assume this great elevated stub road, which has been recently demolished along with all the remedial works at the southern end of the Silver Jubilee Bridge—but which is still visible on Google Earth for the time being—was intended to be the approach to the parallel bridge that was never built?
Basically, yes. They've now reverted the layout back to its pre-1977 configuration.
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