Unopened GSJ in Barcelona

[Truvelo]

On the edge of Barcelona is this roundabout GSJ built a decade ago. It has remained like this ever since and now weeds are growing around the edge of the tarmac. Does anyone know why it's remained like this. It can't be cost as all the major work is done.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@41.34288 ... ?entry=ttu

[Brenley Corner]

If you go just to the north on the existing dual carriageway there is this semi-built over bridge. In this satellite view you see the columns at the side of the road, but go to the latest street view image and they have vanished.

Now you see them (October 2015 to August 2022)

Now you don't (September 2023)

In places this project seems to have have gone backwards.

[MotorwayPlannerM21]

There seem to be more unopened slip roads and local links at the two junctions immediately south as well. Perhaps it was all part of some larger scheme that fell through (pure speculation on my part), but it seems ludicrous to build it all then just never open it.

[jackal]

There are plenty of road schemes abandoned for financial reasons in Spain.

But why didn't they open the GSJ given it's built already? I guess they can't because the weaving to the next junction north, with the BV2002, would be extremely tight, and the northbound carriageway also runs over the BV2002 sliproads, perhaps making them inoperable.

Brenley Corner's structure suggests that the existing BV2002 junction would have been at least partially replaced by a link to the new GSJ. Without that link the existing BV2002 junction has to stay open and the new GSJ can't open.

[Bryn666]

It does rather look like a corner cut that has died a death, and because of existing tie-ins means none of it can be brought into use as Jackal notes.

What a complete waste of resources. I'm not even sure what benefit it serves beyond literally cutting a corner that is serviced by much bigger motorways adjacent.

[Chris5156]

I'm not even sure what benefit it serves beyond literally cutting a corner that is serviced by much bigger motorways adjacent.

Very much par for the course in the Spanish road network! Already having a motorway between point A and point B is no barrier to building another one.

[Truvelo]

I'm not even sure what benefit it serves beyond literally cutting a corner that is serviced by much bigger motorways adjacent.

Very much par for the course in the Spanish road network! Already having a motorway between point A and point B is no barrier to building another one.

And many roads bypassed by tolled Autopistas have had GSJ's built since the tolled motorway opened such as all the GSJ's on the single carriageway N1 here. Where else in the world would you grade separate a road competing with a toll road? It's as though they want to encourage shunpiking.

[danfw194]

And many roads bypassed by tolled Autopistas have had GSJ's built since the tolled motorway opened such as all the GSJ's on the single carriageway N1 here. Where else in the world would you grade separate a road competing with a toll road? It's as though they want to encourage shunpiking.

For sure that is over-engineered for the traffic levels, but I'd much rather see that compared to the UK's approach of 'let's build anything new at-grade and signalise every junction to an inch of it's life'.

[Herned]

And many roads bypassed by tolled Autopistas have had GSJ's built since the tolled motorway opened such as all the GSJ's on the single carriageway N1 here. Where else in the world would you grade separate a road competing with a toll road? It's as though they want to encourage shunpiking.

The N232 has been slowly converted to the A68 north west of Zaragoza, directly paralleling the autopista. Bizarre use of resources, and pretty astonishing that the toll road contract didn't have some sort of non-competitive clause in it

[Gav]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/peBUBKGXZoB1ghBo8

still in spain - the amount of stubs and unopened junctions across the country....

[wallmeerkat]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/peBUBKGXZoB1ghBo8

still in spain - the amount of stubs and unopened junctions across the country....

Let's just build an 8 lane motorway for the fun of it

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.3023187 ... ?entry=ttu

[Brenley Corner]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/peBUBKGXZoB1ghBo8

still in spain - the amount of stubs and unopened junctions across the country....

Let's just build an 8 lane motorway for the fun of it

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.3023187 ... ?entry=ttu

The SE-40 is a gift that doesn't stop giving. Just beyond the Streetview above are the ghostly lines of a future interchange made up of (now) grass covered earthworks plus bridge supports & abutments.

[Gav]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/peBUBKGXZoB1ghBo8

still in spain - the amount of stubs and unopened junctions across the country....

Let's just build an 8 lane motorway for the fun of it

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.3023187 ... ?entry=ttu

The SE-40 is a gift that doesn't stop giving. Just beyond the Streetview above are the ghostly lines of a future interchange made up of (now) grass covered earthworks plus bridge supports & abutments.

Seville ring road construction much like the M25 bit by bit....

[JosephA22]

Let's just build an 8 lane motorway for the fun of it

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.3023187 ... ?entry=ttu

The SE-40 is a gift that doesn't stop giving. Just beyond the Streetview above are the ghostly lines of a future interchange made up of (now) grass covered earthworks plus bridge supports & abutments.

Seville ring road construction much like the M25 bit by bit....

They actually started to build a tunnel under the river, and then the project stalled about a decade or so ago after hitting technical issues. I think they are now considering a bridge or another tunnel to a different spec. Once (if?) built there should be plenty of traffic on that section of the Seville southern bypass.