Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
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- Bfivethousand
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Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
I've part-mentioned this in Botched Roadsigns, however I think it warrants its own thread...
Approaching Caernarfon from Porthmadog on the A487, you will pass through a very narrow (5 metre-ish?) stretch of S2 with terraced housing almost at the roadside with no footway.
Proceed around 400 metres up the road and you're passing over the top of a good quality grade separated junction on the town's relief road.
There can't be too many better examples of a stretch of road changing in quality so quickly...?
Approaching Caernarfon from Porthmadog on the A487, you will pass through a very narrow (5 metre-ish?) stretch of S2 with terraced housing almost at the roadside with no footway.
Proceed around 400 metres up the road and you're passing over the top of a good quality grade separated junction on the town's relief road.
There can't be too many better examples of a stretch of road changing in quality so quickly...?
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Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
M23>A23 at Hooley. Three lane motorway to single lane suburban road
Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
The A53?
West of the A500 it's in a narrow cutting, partly lined with houses. East of the A500 it's dual and grade-separated (albeit not for long). Queues are likely on both bits, however!
West of the A500 it's in a narrow cutting, partly lined with houses. East of the A500 it's dual and grade-separated (albeit not for long). Queues are likely on both bits, however!
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Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
Not quite as pronounced but any improved section of the A5 in North Wales - e.g. Ty Nant and the bridge at Druid - is noticably different to Telford's road either side.Bfivethousand wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 16:07 I've part-mentioned this in Botched Roadsigns, however I think it warrants its own thread...
Approaching Caernarfon from Porthmadog on the A487, you will pass through a very narrow (5 metre-ish?) stretch of S2 with terraced housing almost at the roadside with no footway.
Proceed around 400 metres up the road and you're passing over the top of a good quality grade separated junction on the town's relief road.
There can't be too many better examples of a stretch of road changing in quality so quickly...?
Bryn
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Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
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Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
A66 heading East at the end of the Temple Sowerby bypass where you go from this
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.63266 ... 6656?hl=en
To this in Kirkby Thore
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.62218 ... 6656?hl=en
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.63266 ... 6656?hl=en
To this in Kirkby Thore
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.62218 ... 6656?hl=en
Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
The A214 Trinity Road at Wandsworth Common. S2 with houses on both sides opens out in a single jump to D3 with parkland on both sides.
Equally, the A236 approaching Croydon from the north west - congested S2 with frequent traffic lights opens up to D2 elevated viaduct. 20 years or so ago, it opened up to D3 elevated viaduct with GSJs, but a lot has changed since then.
Equally, the A236 approaching Croydon from the north west - congested S2 with frequent traffic lights opens up to D2 elevated viaduct. 20 years or so ago, it opened up to D3 elevated viaduct with GSJs, but a lot has changed since then.
Chris
Roads.org.uk
Roads.org.uk
Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
There are numerous examples in Scotland of improved S2 roads abruptly transitioning to uminproved S1 eg. : https://www.google.com/maps/@58.4956946 ... 312!8i6656
Owen
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Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
On a similar vein to Chris’ comment, A3 north of Tibbetts corner, Wandsworth.
- ravenbluemoon
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Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
The section of A1 just north of A1(M) J17 always feels like a serious change - from driving down a runway, to a substandard 60s D2 with dodgy horizontal and vertical alignments, side roads, property accesses etc. Very noticeable how you suddenly have to concentrate more - particularly at night.
The Darrington - Redhouse section can be mentioned also, but at least there's streetlighting.
The Darrington - Redhouse section can be mentioned also, but at least there's streetlighting.
Tony Alice (they,them)
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Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
This one is also rather drastic, especially after being on good quality improved S2 since Bonar Bridge you're then faced with 40 miles of S1 to reach the north coast.owen b wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 12:34 There are numerous examples in Scotland of improved S2 roads abruptly transitioning to uminproved S1 eg. : https://www.google.com/maps/@58.4956946 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@58.05542 ... 312!8i6656
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Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
That one has changed - it's now S2 going north from the junction, though I don't know how far it goes as I was heading west last time I was there.IAN wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 21:40This one is also rather drastic, especially after being on good quality improved S2 since Bonar Bridge you're then faced with 40 miles of S1 to reach the north coast.owen b wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 12:34 There are numerous examples in Scotland of improved S2 roads abruptly transitioning to uminproved S1 eg. : https://www.google.com/maps/@58.4956946 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@58.05542 ... 312!8i6656
Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
M53 at Hooton? It goes from a fast three lane motorway to a 2-lane urban road as it becomes the former M531
Last edited by SBRoxMan on Mon Jun 07, 2021 12:05, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
M4 eastbound at Boston Manor? Goes from your typical D3M with hard shoulders to an elevated D2 urban motorway. While probably not the most pronounced change of all, once you go under the Piccadilly line the appearance of the road changes a lot.
Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
North circular to either side of the Hanger Lane gyratory. If you're going Southbound you go from 3 lane grade separated dual carriageway via an 8 lane wide gyratory to a 4 lane wide single carriageway in fairly short order.
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- the cheesecake man
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Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
I'm surprised the M67 hasn't been mentioned yet. Three lane motorway straight to unimproved original S2 through Mottram, with the A57 and dual carriageway A560 joining in for extra congestion.
Before The Great Resurfacing any road from Sheffield into Derbyshire would have counted due to the immediate improvement in road surface.
Before The Great Resurfacing any road from Sheffield into Derbyshire would have counted due to the immediate improvement in road surface.
Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
A494 at Drome Corner. D4M configuration to 1960s D2. It's more pronounced than Peterborough.
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Re: Most pronounced change in road quality over a short distance
I should add, the M56/A494 between Chester Services and the intersection with the A55 is probably the strangest set of road quality changes on a supposedly high-quality highway.
From Chester Services, it's D3M all the way to the intersection with the M53, then it becomes D2M until it becomes the A494, where it's then D2. Right on the junction with the A550 and on the England/Wales border, it's back to D3M with hard shoulder, until it briefly becomes D2M and then D2 as it crosses the River Dee.
From Chester Services, it's D3M all the way to the intersection with the M53, then it becomes D2M until it becomes the A494, where it's then D2. Right on the junction with the A550 and on the England/Wales border, it's back to D3M with hard shoulder, until it briefly becomes D2M and then D2 as it crosses the River Dee.