Is this the tightest dual carriageway bend in the world?
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Re: Is this the tightest dual carriageway bend in the world?
This is the road talked about in the OP.
I think it opened sometime in 2011. The Muscat expressway was opened in 2010 and I remember the exit for this road being blocked off. It makes a more direct connection between the new areas of Muscat and Amarat and the motorway to Sur. Before people had to drive through Ruwi which was one of the busiest areas of the city and then go through the mountains on the old route which was a twisty D2 which was prone to flooding whenever Oman happened to get rain.
I got to drive this a couple of times in 2016 and it is a very impressive road, great views over Muscat as it climbs from more or less sea level to 400m up the mountains. Hairpins are really tight as they look on the map, 40 km/h limit on that part.
I think it opened sometime in 2011. The Muscat expressway was opened in 2010 and I remember the exit for this road being blocked off. It makes a more direct connection between the new areas of Muscat and Amarat and the motorway to Sur. Before people had to drive through Ruwi which was one of the busiest areas of the city and then go through the mountains on the old route which was a twisty D2 which was prone to flooding whenever Oman happened to get rain.
I got to drive this a couple of times in 2016 and it is a very impressive road, great views over Muscat as it climbs from more or less sea level to 400m up the mountains. Hairpins are really tight as they look on the map, 40 km/h limit on that part.
Re: Is this the tightest dual carriageway bend in the world?
A bit like the temporary sharp bend on the Scottish M80 at Stepps that existed for quite a while before the two segments of the motorway were joined up? It definitely looks like the Croatian A5 is planned to eventually meet the Hungarian M6 and I would imagine the E73 would eventually be rerouted onto the new motorway as well and off of the non-motorway (D7 and 56) alternative.DJMS wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 11:48This bend is only temporary though. They have routed the road around the loop of what will eventually be a trumpet interchange (as far as I can see from the maps). The M6 will eventually continue south to become the Croation A5 however I recall seeing somewhere that plans to extend the M60 into Croatia are further forward than the M6.Euan wrote: ↑Wed Feb 20, 2019 21:17 On the topic of motorway bends, while browsing much of Europe on maps recently I noticed what looks like quite a tight bend on the M60 (Hungary) just south of where it continues on from the M6/E73 near Mohacs. It stood out as being a really sharp bend for a motorway, but I doubt it is as sharp as the A571 already pointed out in Germany.
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Re: Is this the tightest dual carriageway bend in the world?
Exactly the same sort of thing. I'm not sure how the motorways are funded but both countries are committed to filling the gap. I read somewhere that they were waiting for EU funding to go ahead with it. A couple of miles north of the northern end of the A5, the Croatians have built a pretty impressive suspension bridge over the river Drava, known as the bridge to nowhere so I think there will at least be a further extension of the A5 even if it won't reach Hungary for some time.Euan wrote: ↑Fri Feb 22, 2019 21:57 A bit like the temporary sharp bend on the Scottish M80 at Stepps that existed for quite a while before the two segments of the motorway were joined up? It definitely looks like the Croatian A5 is planned to eventually meet the Hungarian M6 and I would imagine the E73 would eventually be rerouted onto the new motorway as well and off of the non-motorway (D7 and 56) alternative.
The non-motorway routes there just now aren't the worst and they are very quiet down there but it still took almost an hour to drive the gap between the M6 and A5.
- Norfolktolancashire
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Re: Is this the tightest dual carriageway bend in the world?
The southbound carriageway on the adjacent viaduct is one of those I do not like, far too slender and tall! Last time I went that way I used a side road on the other side of the valley!jimboLL wrote: ↑Tue Feb 19, 2019 12:36 The downhill/Westbound carriageway of the N205 between Chamonix and Passy has a ridiculous bend with an unusual and strictly enforced 25km/h limit for anything over 3.5t
The police have a permanent little wooden hut/hide they work from.
Despite the enforcement, plenty of lorries fall over, in which case the uphill carriageway, which is on a massive viaduct, can be switched to contraflow.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@45.93209 ... 312!8i6656
Re: Is this the tightest dual carriageway bend in the world?
I take eastbound they built a new road, westbound used the original N road and tuned it in the westbound carriageway. Given other motorways and "N" roads in the Alps can't see why they didn't build a new road for both directionsjimboLL wrote: ↑Tue Feb 19, 2019 12:36 The downhill/Westbound carriageway of the N205 between Chamonix and Passy has a ridiculous bend with an unusual and strictly enforced 25km/h limit for anything over 3.5t
The police have a permanent little wooden hut/hide they work from.
Despite the enforcement, plenty of lorries fall over, in which case the uphill carriageway, which is on a massive viaduct, can be switched to contraflow.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@45.93209 ... 312!8i6656
The M25 - The road to nowhere
- lefthandedspanner
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Re: Is this the tightest dual carriageway bend in the world?
As I understand it the eventual plan is to upgrade the entirety of E73 between Budapest and Ploče (a major Balkan port on the coast of Croatia) to motorway. The southern section between Ploče and the southern Bosnian border, and much of the northern section between the northern Bosnian border and Budapest is complete, bar the M6/A5 gap.Euan wrote: ↑Fri Feb 22, 2019 21:57A bit like the temporary sharp bend on the Scottish M80 at Stepps that existed for quite a while before the two segments of the motorway were joined up? It definitely looks like the Croatian A5 is planned to eventually meet the Hungarian M6 and I would imagine the E73 would eventually be rerouted onto the new motorway as well and off of the non-motorway (D7 and 56) alternative.DJMS wrote: ↑Thu Feb 21, 2019 11:48This bend is only temporary though. They have routed the road around the loop of what will eventually be a trumpet interchange (as far as I can see from the maps). The M6 will eventually continue south to become the Croation A5 however I recall seeing somewhere that plans to extend the M60 into Croatia are further forward than the M6.Euan wrote: ↑Wed Feb 20, 2019 21:17 On the topic of motorway bends, while browsing much of Europe on maps recently I noticed what looks like quite a tight bend on the M60 (Hungary) just south of where it continues on from the M6/E73 near Mohacs. It stood out as being a really sharp bend for a motorway, but I doubt it is as sharp as the A571 already pointed out in Germany.
In Bosnia itself, Sarajevo has a motorway bypass, but bar that and the cross-border links there are no other motorways in the country. In addition to the financial cost, the fact any new road would cross substantial sections of both the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska would no doubt result in political complications.
Re: Is this the tightest dual carriageway bend in the world?
The valley side is pretty vertical at that point, so there's no real room for 4 lanes. They could have gone for a 4 lane viaduct, but of course there are cost implications and a waste of the original road. Looking at it from a non-technical pov, it would appear they could have put the other carriageway across the valley floor at Passy and up the northern wall of the valley towards Joux, crossing back over the river somewhere near Chatelard - I have no idea whether this would be even remotely feasible.A303Chris wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2019 14:04I take eastbound they built a new road, westbound used the original N road and tuned it in the westbound carriageway. Given other motorways and "N" roads in the Alps can't see why they didn't build a new road for both directionsjimboLL wrote: ↑Tue Feb 19, 2019 12:36 The downhill/Westbound carriageway of the N205 between Chamonix and Passy has a ridiculous bend with an unusual and strictly enforced 25km/h limit for anything over 3.5t
The police have a permanent little wooden hut/hide they work from.
Despite the enforcement, plenty of lorries fall over, in which case the uphill carriageway, which is on a massive viaduct, can be switched to contraflow.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@45.93209 ... 312!8i6656
Re: Is this the tightest dual carriageway bend in the world?
When I was in Bosnia in late October it looked like the A1 was due a northward extension on the Sarajevo extension. It was dark so I couldn't see well how far it looked like this would go but the new section was lit and looked almost ready. Looking on Google satellite images it appears that there is at least going to be a motorway bypass of Zenica. There is a northern section under construction connecting to the A5 in Croatia so there is progress being made, perhaps slowly due to funding.lefthandedspanner wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2019 20:24
As I understand it the eventual plan is to upgrade the entirety of E73 between Budapest and Ploče (a major Balkan port on the coast of Croatia) to motorway. The southern section between Ploče and the southern Bosnian border, and much of the northern section between the northern Bosnian border and Budapest is complete, bar the M6/A5 gap.
In Bosnia itself, Sarajevo has a motorway bypass, but bar that and the cross-border links there are no other motorways in the country. In addition to the financial cost, the fact any new road would cross substantial sections of both the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska would no doubt result in political complications.
I couldn't find much for motorway plans in Bosnia other than the A1 (E73). Looking at the maps there appears to be another motorway standard road crossing northern Bosnia from a few miles north of Banja Luka to Doboj but it doesnt appear to have a number and I'm not sure if it's open yet. It definitely appears like there will be an eastward extension of this in the future.
- FlatLettuce
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Re: Is this the tightest dual carriageway bend in the world?
Looks like an unbuilt something there - there's reserved land to the top right of that bend and the bend really looks like a pair of sliproads for a triangle GSJ. I wonder if there was another crossing of the Rhein planned?
FlatLettuce
Back from Berlin to the rain-sodden streets of Derby. And they still haven't sorted the drainage. Or the ring road.
Back from Berlin to the rain-sodden streets of Derby. And they still haven't sorted the drainage. Or the ring road.
Re: Is this the tightest dual carriageway bend in the world?
See ...FlatLettuce wrote: ↑Fri Apr 26, 2019 20:58Looks like an unbuilt something there - there's reserved land to the top right of that bend and the bend really looks like a pair of sliproads for a triangle GSJ. I wonder if there was another crossing of the Rhein planned?
JosephA22 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 19, 2019 15:30
That's a nice bit of cost cutting... The motorway that was supposed to head north east (apparently planned as the A31 at some point) is clearly visible, and that very sharp bend is on the slip road going from the A571 going from north to west.
But when the road was not built eastwards, they just dropped the slip road onto the planned mainline rather than build a bridge and have it swing smoothly round - you can see where it should have gone, closer to the river to the north of the "junction". Hence the sudden sharp turn.
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Johnny Mo
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Re: Is this the tightest dual carriageway bend in the world?
Blimey, how did I skip past that post? Serves me right for reading this on a small screen. Apologies to all.JohnnyMo wrote: ↑Fri Apr 26, 2019 21:26See ...FlatLettuce wrote: ↑Fri Apr 26, 2019 20:58Looks like an unbuilt something there - there's reserved land to the top right of that bend and the bend really looks like a pair of sliproads for a triangle GSJ. I wonder if there was another crossing of the Rhein planned?JosephA22 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 19, 2019 15:30
That's a nice bit of cost cutting... The motorway that was supposed to head north east (apparently planned as the A31 at some point) is clearly visible, and that very sharp bend is on the slip road going from the A571 going from north to west.
But when the road was not built eastwards, they just dropped the slip road onto the planned mainline rather than build a bridge and have it swing smoothly round - you can see where it should have gone, closer to the river to the north of the "junction". Hence the sudden sharp turn.
FlatLettuce
Back from Berlin to the rain-sodden streets of Derby. And they still haven't sorted the drainage. Or the ring road.
Back from Berlin to the rain-sodden streets of Derby. And they still haven't sorted the drainage. Or the ring road.
Re: Is this the tightest dual carriageway bend in the world?
I came across this motorway bend while driving up the A1 in Croatia last week. Pretty impressive section of D3 road up the mountain with the two tunnels at both ends of the corner.