Oldest "future-proofing" that never got used

[WHBM]

As a companion to the "Oldest proposed bypass that's never been built"

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=41734

a separate discussion one step on, Oldest Future Proofing, or schemes started but not finished.

I'll open with one which, as described before, I once had some peripheral professional involvement with, the Glasgow "West Street ski jumps", built about 1970, now 52 years old

https://www.google.com/maps/@55.8520043 ... 384!8i8192

[JohnnyMo]

I raise you with this GSJ from the mid 50's -- A602 South Stevenage

[Herned]

I raise you with this GSJ from the mid 50's -- A602 South Stevenage

Isn't that a change of plan, rather than future proofing? I was told once that it was to do with having events in the park opposite the football stadium. No idea if that is true

[jnty]

Not sure of the history of it but this one on the A27 at Crossbush is quite striking.

[JohnnyMo]

I raise you with this GSJ from the mid 50's -- A602 South Stevenage

Isn't that a change of plan, rather than future proofing? I was told once that it was to do with having events in the park opposite the football stadium. No idea if that is true

The original plan was for a grid road from here via what is now Fairlands Park to Martins Way.

Also this "dual carriageway" was meant to be Monkswood Way. Which is why Elder Way starts here. What was planned would be something like this

[skiddaw05]

This and this, both from the 70s

[the cheesecake man]

Quite a few new town roads have space to be dualled. See Warrington on roads.org.uk for some examples.

[jnty]

May I be permitted a speculative contender on the Edinburgh Trams 'network'?

https://goo.gl/maps/WSbemcpKCdZToumFA

This aerial photo from during construction is the only one I can find, but this set of points is now part of the running tram line and has been since it opened in 2014. The divergent line remains a stub, intended to facilitate the completion of Phase 1b north along the Roseburn Path. I think even at the time the points were installed Phase 1b had already been "postponed" and it is not part of the current extension works which only aim to complete Phase 1a. Sensibly the points were still installed as per the original design as future-proofing with the assumption that Phase 1b would be completed one day.

Indeed, the plan does still seem to be continued expansion of the network over the coming decades, which would surely include the completion of Phase 1b. However, as the name suggests, Roseburn Path is a useful link in the city's active travel network which is increasingly popular with cyclists and walkers, forming part of the NCN1 and providing a useful traffic-free link over the Dean Valley. While its previous life as a railway means that it provides an excellent alignment for trams, the frequency of overbridges means that the replacement path provided alongside would often be extremely constricted. While this wasn't a concern for the original planners, who probably paid a bit less attention to active travel provision than they perhaps should have, compromising an active travel route as part of a public transport scheme now seems very counterproductive.

Therefore, the council has raised a new possibility - Option B2, which would keep Phase 1b on-road for its first section, routed via the A90 Queensferry Road over the Dean Bridge. This would mean it diverged from the existing line at a different place - probably a tight bend at the west end of Princes Street. This would also have the advantage of providing tram stops at 'road level' rather than at the foot of an embankment. It's still a speculative plan, so there's still every chance the original route could still be chosen - general traffic restrictions on the A90 might be required which would be very controversial for such a key route, and detailed design would be costly and might uncover further snags. The council has also indicated that bridge reconstructions could mitigate the issues with the otherwise spacious original alignment.

However, if the new option B2 is followed - or, of course, if the council changes tack and abandons 1b completely - this Roseburn Stub could easily stick around for decades as a reminder of the the old abandoned plans.

[IAN]

This was built some time ago 40'/50's? The plan was to link Quinton Road and Quinton Road West across the Woodgate valley with the completed road being D2. The link never happened and here we can see where the underused D2 reduces to S2 with space for D2 to continue.

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.4477329 ... 384!8i8192 and https://www.google.com/maps/@52.4485684 ... 384!8i8192

[Chris Bertram]

Quite a few new town roads have space to be dualled. See Warrington on roads.org.uk for some examples.

They don't have to be new town roads. There are loads of not-very-new roads around Birmingham where there is a service road where a second carriageway was intended to be added later, some of these quite close to me on A4040, which of course was once designated the Outer Ring Road.

If you want something newer, the ski-jumps that should have carried the Middle Ring Road (A4540) over Dartmouth Circus, the junction with A38/A38(M)/A5127 are still in place, unused.

[Chris Bertram]

This was built some time ago 40'/50's? The plan was to link Quinton Road and Quinton Road West across the Woodgate valley with the completed road being D2. The link never happened and here we can see where the underused D2 reduces to S2 with space for D2 to continue.

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.4477329 ... 384!8i8192

See what's in the way? Harborne Golf Club. Golf clubs are very skilled and successful at defending their territory against road schemes. They have powerful and influential members who can pull the right strings.

[Truvelo]

This was built some time ago 40'/50's? The plan was to link Quinton Road and Quinton Road West across the Woodgate valley with the completed road being D2. The link never happened and here we can see where the underused D2 reduces to S2 with space for D2 to continue.

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.4477329 ... 384!8i8192

See what's in the way? Harborne Golf Club. Golf clubs are very skilled and successful at defending their territory against road schemes. They have powerful and influential members who can pull the right strings.

It was the policy in the city from 1917 that all the major roads were built with a 110' right of way to allow for future dualling. Many of these were never carried out.

[Patrick Harper]

If the question specifically relates to 'capacity' then the M23's D4M capability north of the M25 is probably the most striking example.

[B1040]

In the '70s there were rumours that some of the roads in Harlow had green verges to allow for dualling.
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.7663315 ... 384!8i8192

On the other hand, the architects of Harlow liked the idea of "green wedges" dividing up the town. I haven't been back much in the last 40 years to see how things have changed. (mixture of my job taking me away, family moving and the friends I did have in school mostly leaving town).

[Bryn666]

This bridge (1971) was intended for a future Bolton Outer Ring Road: https://goo.gl/maps/c3MywKVwUfPPtVz58 and likewise St Peters Way itself is designed with a wide central reservation for future widening to D3 but is very unlikely to be used - the intention was to extend the route northwards out of Bolton towards Blackburn.

https://goo.gl/maps/RnQvUhn4bfBK6ny26 1970 bridge intended for the Whalley Bypass to be D2.

https://goo.gl/maps/Vrx2UPgoCT2e9fdD7 1969 stump for Prospect Hill Interchange (https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/ind ... nterchange)

None of these will ever happen now.

[wrinkly]

A627(M) at its junction with the M62, opened 1972. Split carriageways to allow for a top level which at the time was expected to be built around 1981.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.58822 ... a=!3m1!1e3

[Micro The Maniac]

There are a number of bridges over/under the M3 that are provisioned for D2

B3013, B3272 (ex A327), A323 etc

[Micro The Maniac]

Not sure of the history of it but this one on the A27 at Crossbush is quite striking.

Ah yes... the western extension of the A27... which may just possibly finally be coming to fruition!

[Truvelo]

This bridge (1971) was intended for a future Bolton Outer Ring Road: https://goo.gl/maps/c3MywKVwUfPPtVz58 and likewise St Peters Way itself is designed with a wide central reservation for future widening to D3 but is very unlikely to be used - the intention was to extend the route northwards out of Bolton towards Blackburn.

That's news to me. I've never noticed the extra carriageway under that bridge before. How would the outer ring have interacted with St Peters Way? The existing northbound entry slip would have to close as there's currently nowhere for the eastbound carriageway under the bridge to go.

[jackal]

I raise you with this GSJ from the mid 50's -- A602 South Stevenage

From GSV they look too low to be bridges for a GSJ. Were they not intended as NMU subways, similar to those at the roundabouts either side?