Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
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Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
Whilst I'm very interested in roads, one topic that has always fascinated me is learning about the roads we could've had if things went differently, such as the M64 or the M50-M42 link motorway. I'm curious about how many visual hints we have today of the roads that were never built, some current examples I know of include:
- The M11's bridge over nothing where the M12 was expected to diverge
- The M53's half-built junction where both carriageways split
- The A5052 at the Liverpool Docks is very wide, clearly using the space intended for the Liverpool Urban Motorway
What examples can you all think of?
- The M11's bridge over nothing where the M12 was expected to diverge
- The M53's half-built junction where both carriageways split
- The A5052 at the Liverpool Docks is very wide, clearly using the space intended for the Liverpool Urban Motorway
What examples can you all think of?
Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
It's clear that Stanton Way was supposed to continue over the railway line north of Gypsy Lane.
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Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
There's a whole pile of them all over the place - and the best places to start to learn how to spot them are usually New Towns.
For example, there will be roads where only one half of a dual carriageway is completed, and there's a huge verge on one side only, and streetlights down the opposite side, like this one in Telford, where a cycle path has been placed in the land reserved for the other carriageway. There's also its cousin, the kind of half-built dual that meanders from side to side across the reserved line of the route, again, with large verges and over-wide overbridges.
There's oddly sized or placed roundabouts, again suggesting that something else should have happened here. Here's another example from Telford, or this one in Skelmersdale.
Then there's blatantly unfinished junctions, such as this one on the M69. Or you could just look through the M8 Glasgow Inner Ring Road - there's loads of them in that short stretch!
For example, there will be roads where only one half of a dual carriageway is completed, and there's a huge verge on one side only, and streetlights down the opposite side, like this one in Telford, where a cycle path has been placed in the land reserved for the other carriageway. There's also its cousin, the kind of half-built dual that meanders from side to side across the reserved line of the route, again, with large verges and over-wide overbridges.
There's oddly sized or placed roundabouts, again suggesting that something else should have happened here. Here's another example from Telford, or this one in Skelmersdale.
Then there's blatantly unfinished junctions, such as this one on the M69. Or you could just look through the M8 Glasgow Inner Ring Road - there's loads of them in that short stretch!
Last edited by Steven on Mon Jun 14, 2021 08:14, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
Steven wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 07:50 There's a whole pile of them all over the place - and the best places to start to learn how to spot them are usually New Towns.
For example, there will be roads where only one half of a dual carriageway is completed, and there's a huge verge on one side only, and streetlights down the opposite side, like this one in Telford, where a cycle path has been placed in the land reserved for the other carriageway. There's also its cousin, the kind of half-built dual that meanders from side to side across the reserved line of the route, again, with large verges and over-wide overbridges.
There's oddly sized or placed roundabouts, again suggesting that something else should have happened here. Here's another example from Telford, or this one in Skelmersdale.
Then there's blatantly unfinished junctions, such as [url=https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/ind ... archmap=M1 J21&gr=52.59851,-1.20710&map=OSMMap&zoom=16&layer=0]this one on the M69. Or you could just look through the M8 Glasgow Inner Ring Road - there's loads of them in that short stretch!
Another New Town example is this former roundabout to nowhere in Stevenage:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Steve ... d-0.196612
Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
I remember that one being taken out - would have been 20 years ago, I think.trickstat wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 08:09 Another New Town example is this former roundabout to nowhere in Stevenage:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Steve ... d-0.196612
South Way, Hatfield would qualify.
Have a look at the access roads to Stansted's main terminal. There is a roundabout designed for future grade separation, which I doubt will ever be grade separated now.
Simon
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Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
Sort of. This is the area I grew up in. Gypsy Lane predates Stainton Way by many years. I the 1960's it was already developed for housing east of the railway line but Stainton Way wasnt even a line on a planners map. In the 1970's there was a plan for a Middlesbrough Eastern Bypass which would have followed the Esk Valley railway line down to the A66, the southern end was actually built here.jgharston wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 04:05 It's clear that Stanton Way was supposed to continue over the railway line north of Gypsy Lane.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.56939 ... authuser=0
Before petering out here.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Gyp ... authuser=0
Stainton Way would have passed SE of Gypsy Lane an plugged in to a link road between the Middlesbrough Eastern Bypass and the A171 to Guisbotough and East Cleveland. The scheme collapsed when Cleveland County Council was abolished and control passed to the unitary authorities of Redcar&East Cleveland and Middlesbrough. Redcar&Cleveland were and remain dead against it and there is now no realistic chance of it being built as they have allowed housing to be built on the land earmarked for the route. Realistically there was no chance of it being built during the economic crisis of the 1970's. The money was just not available from either local or national government.
Another problem which may have been a showstopper is that part of the route would have crossed National Trust property which is inalienable although its possible that a deal may have been doable as it is along the western edge of the NT land of low quality. There was talk of the council ceding land to the NT along the Tees in return for being allowed to build the road.
See
https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/tees ... ng-9735957
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Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
Of course the obvious top of the M23 and its numbering
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.2775489 ... a=!3m1!1e3.
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.2775489 ... a=!3m1!1e3.
Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
Probably about that. I can remember it still being available for what were effectively u-turns. Occasionally it was used after that for additional parking for the football ground before they expanded the one at the end of the adjacent showground.M4Simon wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 08:35I remember that one being taken out - would have been 20 years ago, I think.trickstat wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 08:09 Another New Town example is this former roundabout to nowhere in Stevenage:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Steve ... d-0.196612
Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
Considering the M27 was meant to end at Chichester, what was the original plan here?jervi wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 12:00 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.84450 ... a=!3m1!1e3 - The A27 at Crossbush
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Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
There's loads of unfinished business around Birmingham, with odd sections of dualling that just peter out, or turn into S2 + service road, or S2 plus very wide verge. Many of these are associated with the A4040, the former Outer Ring Road, no longer designated as such since the completion of the motorway ring around Birmingham, but still forming a complete circuit of the city. But for another example, I suggest you look at Quinton Road and Quinton Road West. They're both wide and part-dualled, but don't join up, though they clearly point at each other. So what's stopping them from joining up? Harborne Golf Club, that's what. Golf Clubs are very protective of their land, and have an above-average rate of success in preventing development that would affect their courses. So the two roads will be forever separated by the 7th and 14th fairways and will remain minor roads with odd bits of dualling rather than the link road to/from the west that they were clearly intended to be.
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Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
It would have been the A27 Arundel Bypass which has been on again and off again ever since that "temporary" layout was built.SBRoxMan wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 12:23Considering the M27 was meant to end at Chichester, what was the original plan here?jervi wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 12:00 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.84450 ... a=!3m1!1e3 - The A27 at Crossbush
Currently it is back on again: https://highwaysengland.co.uk/our-work/ ... el-bypass/
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Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
Crossbush bypass which was built in the 1990s was designed with the Arundel Bypass in mind, in fact an Arundel Bypass was in development while the Crossbush one was being constructed. This is why the GSJ was basically complete with the overbridge and carriageways below. The eastern part of the gyratory was added later (not sure how much later) as a temp embankment to make the gyratory better, although a few years back it had some strengthening works done on it.SBRoxMan wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 12:23Considering the M27 was meant to end at Chichester, what was the original plan here?jervi wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 12:00 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.84450 ... a=!3m1!1e3 - The A27 at Crossbush
https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/ar ... t_1994.pdf - there are some drawings on the last few pages of this report showing how it was meant to be.
The Arundel Bypass is due to be built sometime in the next few years (although that has been said for the past 30 years) https://highwaysengland.co.uk/our-work/ ... el-bypass/
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=37891 - thread on the current bypass scheme
Unfortunately there has never been a plan to extend the M27 beyond Chichester as far as I am aware.
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Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
Arundel by-pass. Contracts have been let for this, but it will take a few years to build. As ever, the "not one tree" wing of the environmental movement held things up.SBRoxMan wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 12:23Considering the M27 was meant to end at Chichester, what was the original plan here?jervi wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 12:00 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.84450 ... a=!3m1!1e3 - The A27 at Crossbush
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Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
On the M5 to the west of Cheltenham, between junctions 10 and 11, there are what look like slip-road stubs. Was a junction or service area ever planned here? This link should take you to the southern set of stubs - go northwards and you'll soon see the northern pair. https://www.google.com/maps/@51.9104732 ... a=!3m1!1e3
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Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
Yep, that's the remains of Staverton services, whilst 12 miles away are Moreton Valence services. There's loads of them dotted around the older parts of the network, although there was a phase in the 1970s of them being completed.ABB125 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 13:08 On the M5 to the west of Cheltenham, between junctions 10 and 11, there are what look like slip-road stubs. Was a junction or service area ever planned here? This link should take you to the southern set of stubs - go northwards and you'll soon see the northern pair. https://www.google.com/maps/@51.9104732 ... a=!3m1!1e3
As ever the SABRE Wiki is the place to start.
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From the SABRE Wiki: Staverton services :
Staverton services is an unbuilt motorway service area on the M5 in Gloucestershire, between junctions 10 and 11.
Although the services were never completed, short stubs of slip roads are visible at the location.
Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
Either end of the M67, at the Denton roundabout the motorway heads up the "ski jump" ready to hit a flyover over the roundabout, but instead just drops back to the roundabout. At Mottram the motorway widens ready to veer off left, instead it continues and joins the roundabout.
M60 at Bredbury, the infamous right-hand join of the slip road anti-clockwise occurs because the slip is supposed to join the end of the A6(M), which then would have merged with the M60. This is why the railway bridge here is so big, it was to make way for the four or six lanes that weren't built.
M60 at Bredbury, the infamous right-hand join of the slip road anti-clockwise occurs because the slip is supposed to join the end of the A6(M), which then would have merged with the M60. This is why the railway bridge here is so big, it was to make way for the four or six lanes that weren't built.
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Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
And of course there's the Scratchwood Link, which should have connected M1 at the never-completed J3, to A1 Barnet Way. Hey, is that a golf course that I see directly in the way? Yes, it certainly is!
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Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
What sort of thing do you want - bearing in mind this thread could last for years?
This roundabout in Skem was obviously meant to be a grade-separated dumbbell.
This road is the eastbound offslip off the A511, which should have continued under the bridge just visible.
Some clues are more subtle. St Saviour's Church here was demolished to make way for the Manchester inner ring road, which was never built.
This roundabout in Skem was obviously meant to be a grade-separated dumbbell.
This road is the eastbound offslip off the A511, which should have continued under the bridge just visible.
Some clues are more subtle. St Saviour's Church here was demolished to make way for the Manchester inner ring road, which was never built.
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Re: Visual Clues Of Roads That Never Happened
There is one here https://www.google.com/maps/place/Calla ... -2.6168389 a missing arm off the A574 in my home town which is now a footpath but was clearly reserved for something else. Perhaps in the new town plans. We all know the eastern section of the A574 Birchwood way was to continue west using the old railway trackbed which never happened so perhaps these two would have linked somewhere around the A49. Sadly i've never come across any plans to find out where these unbuilt sections would have gone.