Stevie D wrote:6637 wrote:That being said, it would probably be useful to make a dual carriageway between York and Scarborough. Possible map:
http://i.imgur.com/AXOF9Ns.png
The A64 doesn't need massive improvement east of Malton. Bypasses at Rillington and Sherburn would almost certainly be sufficient for the foreseeable future, it's been York and Malton that it desperately needs to be improved. But if the road was to be given an offline dual carriageway upgrade then it would almost certainly just run alongside the railway to Seamer, rather than carving a new corridor. This would minimise disruption and destruction.
Yep. Hence why I didn't propose an A64 upgrade east of Malton initially - it's one of those things that would be useful, but isn't necessary.
And good point about running it alongside the railway, that does make more sense in hindsight.
Stevie D wrote:
East of Harrogate, it's moderately plausible, although I don't know why you don't go for an online upgrade of A658/A59 between Pannal and Moor Monkton, as the road is already there on a good alignment, and it would save a lot of cost and destruction.
True. Now you mention it, it's a better idea to run along the A58/A659 line.
But west of Harrogate it's still a complete non-starter. You need to draw the route on an OS map so that you can see just how many contour lines you are crossing. Or just accept that there is no possible surface route out of the Aire Valley. Because there isn't.
I did have a quick look at an OS map, but wasn't sure whether it would be too steep.
If it is too steep, as you say, one option is a viaduct. Map:
http://i.imgur.com/4mQmMv6.png
Normally, something like that would be completely impossible (too obtrusive), but if you design it to look good and blend in with the landscape, like the Pont du Gard or Millau Viaduct, then it might be possible.
If a viaduct isn't possible, then you'd have to just use a few tunnels to get down to the level of the Aire Valley gradually.