I've just been looking at a 1976 road atlas which shows an anomaly at the M606 northern terminus. I've read all the stuff I can find on PM including the plan to continue the road through Bradford and out to the north, along the line of the map provided by one of PM's readers.
My atlas shows a different planned route to this which basically continues from Staygate further to the north east, eventually terminating on the A650. The route exactly follows the course of a dismantled railway line which can be seen on today's maps and is easily visible on current satellite view. The M606 would have terminated where the dismantled railway crosses the A650 - the bridge is still there.
Another PM reader was responsible for fixing the line of the M606 back in the 1960s so it seems unlikely that it was ever intended to run on the course in my map as described. Yet I'm intrigued as to why it is shown like this. It looks just as feasible a route to link up with the unbuilt 'Bradford North Radial Motorway' so could it have been another option that was dismissed? Or is it just some sort of copyright trap or something?
M606 Route Question
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Re: M606 Route Question
The plans I have show it ending on the A650 with a roundabout GSJ at the junction of Croft Street and Bridge Street. That is from the 60's.
Your map is from 1976 which I feel is rather late for urban motorways as most had been scrapped by then. I have some thoughts though. The junction of the planned northern terminus was built in the 70s to a much different design with flaring for a possible A650 flyover which is what's there now. Maybe the decision was taken to reroute the M606 along the abandoned railway to the join the A650 south of that junction which would explain why there's space for a flyover. However I have no evidence to support such a claim.
Unfortunately information for the Bradford motorway plans is rather sketchy and I've only uncovered a few junction layouts. I have found absolutely nothing about the north radial motorway.
Your map is from 1976 which I feel is rather late for urban motorways as most had been scrapped by then. I have some thoughts though. The junction of the planned northern terminus was built in the 70s to a much different design with flaring for a possible A650 flyover which is what's there now. Maybe the decision was taken to reroute the M606 along the abandoned railway to the join the A650 south of that junction which would explain why there's space for a flyover. However I have no evidence to support such a claim.
Unfortunately information for the Bradford motorway plans is rather sketchy and I've only uncovered a few junction layouts. I have found absolutely nothing about the north radial motorway.
How would you like your grade separations, Sir?
Big and complex.
Big and complex.