A417 Missing Link campaign!

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Ritchie333
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by Ritchie333 »

The A417 (or A419 as it was before 1935) has never gone directly down Birdlip Hill, ever. It always dog-legged via the Air Balloon. It's possible that the MOT's original route was directly down the hill, only to be corrected by a divisional engineer saying nobody went that way.
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jackal
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by jackal »

On Tuesday the recommendation report was sent to the SoS, who has the usual 3 months to decide.
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by fras »

jackal wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 09:15 On Tuesday the recommendation report was sent to the SoS, who has the usual 3 months to decide.
However, don't rush to dine at the Air Balloon as construction will, no doubt, not start for many years !
(for those not in the know, the Air Balloon pub/restaurant will be demolished to make space for the new road)
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by jackal »

^ The "July Newsletter" (actually an obnoxious Sway) said they plan to start construction in early 2023.
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by jnty »

jackal wrote: Sun Aug 21, 2022 18:27 ^ The "July Newsletter" (actually an obnoxious Sway) said they plan to start construction in early 2023.
If you find it slightly tiresome being forced to view a regular web page as if it's a 00s-era animated powerpoint presentation, clicking the dots at the top right and selecting "Export" then "PDF" may be useful.
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by skiddaw05 »

jnty wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 16:04
jackal wrote: Sun Aug 21, 2022 18:27 ^ The "July Newsletter" (actually an obnoxious Sway) said they plan to start construction in early 2023.
If you find it slightly tiresome being forced to view a regular web page as if it's a 00s-era animated powerpoint presentation, clicking the dots at the top right and selecting "Export" then "PDF" may be useful.
Is it called Sway because of the feeling of seasickness watching it induces?
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by jnty »

skiddaw05 wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 17:47
jnty wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 16:04
jackal wrote: Sun Aug 21, 2022 18:27 ^ The "July Newsletter" (actually an obnoxious Sway) said they plan to start construction in early 2023.
If you find it slightly tiresome being forced to view a regular web page as if it's a 00s-era animated powerpoint presentation, clicking the dots at the top right and selecting "Export" then "PDF" may be useful.
Is it called Sway because of the feeling of seasickness watching it induces?
Perhaps. I also note you can click the 'cog' icon and turn off the animations. Much better.
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A303Chris
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by A303Chris »

Development Consent Issued yesterday , let's just hope it is not culled in the Autumn Statement today.

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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by jackal »

A303Chris wrote: Thu Nov 17, 2022 09:18 Development Consent Issued yesterday , let's just hope it is not culled in the Autumn Statement today.
From what I heard there wasn't any mention of specific roads apart from an A75 feasibility study. But capital spending plans are maintained for two years so I think schemes that are close to starting construction like this one should be fine.

Beyond that it seems budgets are maintained only in cash terms, i.e., real terms cuts. I expect the reality will be the much bigger cull of schemes you get with a change of government, though schemes that are under construction by then should be fine.
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by RichardEvans67 »

by jackal » Thu Nov 17, 2022 12:52

Beyond that it seems budgets are maintained only in cash terms, i.e., real terms cuts. I expect the reality will be the much bigger cull of schemes you get with a change of government, though schemes that are under construction by then should be fine.
There is still the slight worry that a legal challenge could hold it up.
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by roadphotos »

There is an article on Gloucestershire Live that gives the timeline for construction and the expected opening year (early 2027).
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by ikcdab »

fras wrote: Sun Aug 21, 2022 00:11
jackal wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 09:15 On Tuesday the recommendation report was sent to the SoS, who has the usual 3 months to decide.
However, don't rush to dine at the Air Balloon as construction will, no doubt, not start for many years !
(for those not in the know, the Air Balloon pub/restaurant will be demolished to make space for the new road)
You now do need to rush as the pub is closing on new years eve and that's it.
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by fras »

ikcdab wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 08:50
fras wrote: Sun Aug 21, 2022 00:11
jackal wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 09:15 On Tuesday the recommendation report was sent to the SoS, who has the usual 3 months to decide.
However, don't rush to dine at the Air Balloon as construction will, no doubt, not start for many years !
(for those not in the know, the Air Balloon pub/restaurant will be demolished to make space for the new road)
You now do need to rush as the pub is closing on new years eve and that's it.
Thanks for letting us know, but I won't be rushing down there.
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by KeithW »

Ritchie333 wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2022 14:46 The A417 (or A419 as it was before 1935) has never gone directly down Birdlip Hill, ever. It always dog-legged via the Air Balloon. It's possible that the MOT's original route was directly down the hill, only to be corrected by a divisional engineer saying nobody went that way.
The MOT 1922/1923 maps shows this route.
https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/ind ... 9,-2.71513,
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Ritchie333
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by Ritchie333 »

KeithW wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 10:47
Ritchie333 wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2022 14:46 The A417 (or A419 as it was before 1935) has never gone directly down Birdlip Hill, ever. It always dog-legged via the Air Balloon. It's possible that the MOT's original route was directly down the hill, only to be corrected by a divisional engineer saying nobody went that way.
The MOT 1922/1923 maps shows this route.
https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/ind ... 9,-2.71513,
Er, yes, I georererenced and uploaded the original map, and wrote the code to generate the link you posted.

I’ve stopped at the Air Balloon several times, and I’ll be sad to see it go.
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by roadtester »

Ritchie333 wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2022 14:46 The A417 (or A419 as it was before 1935) has never gone directly down Birdlip Hill, ever. It always dog-legged via the Air Balloon. It's possible that the MOT's original route was directly down the hill, only to be corrected by a divisional engineer saying nobody went that way.
I didn't realise the A419 previously went that way. Perhaps a good precedent for renumbering the whole of the modernised section linking the M4 and the M5 with that single number instead of the A417/A419 confusion (probably a naive suggestion ignoring all sorts of knock-on effects and complications).
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by skiddaw05 »

Ritchie333 wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 10:51
KeithW wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 10:47
Ritchie333 wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2022 14:46 The A417 (or A419 as it was before 1935) has never gone directly down Birdlip Hill, ever. It always dog-legged via the Air Balloon. It's possible that the MOT's original route was directly down the hill, only to be corrected by a divisional engineer saying nobody went that way.
The MOT 1922/1923 maps shows this route.
https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/ind ... 9,-2.71513,
Er, yes, I georererenced and uploaded the original map, and wrote the code to generate the link you posted.

I’ve stopped at the Air Balloon several times, and I’ll be sad to see it go.
We should at least expect a commemorative sculpture of an air balloon nearby, just as we have a black cat at Black Cat
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by Piatkow »

skiddaw05 wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 13:29
Ritchie333 wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 10:51
KeithW wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 10:47

The MOT 1922/1923 maps shows this route.
https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/ind ... 9,-2.71513,
Er, yes, I georererenced and uploaded the original map, and wrote the code to generate the link you posted.

I’ve stopped at the Air Balloon several times, and I’ll be sad to see it go.
We should at least expect a commemorative sculpture of an air balloon nearby, just as we have a black cat at Black Cat
I agree, it's always been an important landmark on journeys across the Severn for me.
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by Ruperts Trooper »

The Air Balloon at the top of Birdlip Hill will close for the last time on New Year's Eve - as a landmark, it'll be familiar to many drivers although I used to go up/down the original hill as it seemed quicker if using the A417.
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Re: A417 Missing Link campaign!

Post by JackieRoads »

That's just saddening. NH could have revised plans to keep it intact, but I guess the pub's time has come...
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