A446 and A452, Brownhills and M42 Areas

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Chris56000
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A446 and A452, Brownhills and M42 Areas

Post by Chris56000 »

Hi!

A look on the OS Maps layers online over the A446 and A452 now shows that most of them have been marked in as non–primary – both of these have always been traditionally signed in green as primary routes!

Are these future redesignations that are too early on OS's part or simply a mapping error?

Apart from one white replacement stack–type A.D.S. on the A452 near Streetly Crematorium lights, there is no white signing along either of these routes as of yet!

The A446 is now marked entirely as non–primary from Bassett's Pole to the GSJ where it joins the A452 just south of the M6 junction 4, and the A452 non–primary from Rising Sun to Tyburn House Island, and also non–primary from M6 J5 to the roundabout above the M42.

Thoughts?

Chris Williams
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Truvelo
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Re: A446 and A452, Brownhills and M42 Areas

Post by Truvelo »

I never even noticed that. I drove along the A452 last month and although I wasn't looking out for any replacement signs I seem to recall everything being green.

By chance, and this sign has been there for over a decade so can't possibly be related to any downgrading, the A452 is shown in a narrower stroke width consistent with being non-primary so it does have built in future proofing https://goo.gl/maps/1CaWSCQyT7rrP9Ut8
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PhilC
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Re: A446 and A452, Brownhills and M42 Areas

Post by PhilC »

I have driven along both the A452 and A446 for years. I can remember long stretches of S3 in the 1970s. Since the coming of the M6 Toll the A446 between Bassetts Pole and Dunton Island probably doesn't merit primary status. However, south of Dunton Island is the large business area at Hams Hall, plus the A446 is the obvious alternative route should the M42 be blocked.

Looking at the Ordnance Survey layer on Bing maps the slip roads from the A452 roundabout above the M42 are shown as primary, joining the A446 northbound which is shown as non-primary. So from the A45/A452 Stonebridge Island the primary route bears left to the roundabout over the M42, then turns right before fizzling out half a mile short of M6 junction 4. It does seem bizarre that the primary route doesn't go to the most obvious destination. However, there is a lot of work on HS2 in the area and there is new station being built there which will be a major destination. A new flyover has already been built and an embankment has been levelled so there are bound to be other changes.
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