Shortest Lived Improvement?

[SteveA30]

Browsing through the British Newspaper Archive reveals many hidden stories, such as this one. The short but violent history of an A38 improvement. The A370 junction at East Brent was supposed to be safer after a short stretch of D2 with refuges was built in November 1968. However, within months it had earned the name Murder Alley after various fatal accidents. It was changed to a rbt from Jan 1970, for completion by the summer season.

It looks fine to me but, drivers got into the habit of pulling out without stopping. It was only a T junction, not a crossroads. Nowadays, surviving junctions of this design are D1. I guess on the congested A38 then, any rare chance to overtake was grabbed with both hands and the 2 lanes only started just before the junction.

The pics are supposed to magnify but, apparently that is not working.

https://wheathill.wixsite.com/holiday-roads

[wrinkly]

I seem to remember there were two widenings of the A282 (or some part of it) south of the Thames in quick succession. Something like D2 to D3 to D4. If I remember correctly both covered the same section of the road but the second was not foreseen in the design of the first.

[IAN]

I’ll nominate the M6(T). Promoted as an instant cure for M6 congestion through Birmingham and the Black Country. The high cost of using it soon put paid to any significant benefits

[Mapper89062]

As I mentioned on a previous thread, the original dual carriageway to Tilbury was bypassed only a few years after opening:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.48293 ... ?entry=ttu
Given the space around the old A13 to the west, I assume this must have happened because the first road was designed expecting it would be dualled online rather than bypassed to the north.

Although it was planned to be superceded soon after, the GSJ at the A1 Rainton crossroads didn't last long in its original form.

[Ben302]

I seem to remember there were two widenings of the A282 (or some part of it) south of the Thames in quick succession. Something like D2 to D3 to D4. If I remember correctly both covered the same section of the road but the second was not foreseen in the design of the first.

first widened and resurfaced in 1985-87. This was particularly roadwork heavy from memory as it involved the construction of J1a and the creation of Cotton Lane as we know it today to tie in to it. Lots of retaining wall construction too and widening from D2 to D3H but Junction 1b was left untouched aside from the creation of a long southbound exit ramp which started after the railway bridge as the road climbs upwards. The 1990/1 works were largely concentrated in this area and J2 and the long slip road was removed when the retaining walls were altered slightly when new bridges were constructed at the B2500 and A226 and at J1b, The B260 bridge was retained and repositioned to a lesser skew. The 4th lane was largely acheived by utilising the hard shoulders created during the earlier works towards J1a. The M40 J10 improvements didn't last long before they were modified

[B1040]

B1050 round Longstanton had a short relief road built in the mid 2000s followed by a proper bypass in 2008.

[WHBM]

There was a 2-lane flyover on the A13 at East Ham, built I think in the 1960s. It was a curious arrangement with two eastbound lanes, while westbound all continued through the signals at ground level, which had significant morning peak backups.

In 1983 there was a substantial rebuilding scheme involving it, with a tidal flow scheme, one lane each way in the morning allowing some westbound traffic relief. In the evening peak the two eastbound-only lanes were retained. There was considerable investment in tidal flow signals, and both variable and fixed signage.

The first tidal flow opened at 6am on a Monday morning, with publicity. At 7am, right in front of the officials and senior police there was a fatal head-on collision on the flyover. It was immediately given up, lay with all the equipment unused for some years, and was eventually dismantled.

So it lived for one hour.

[rileyrob]

Browsing through the British Newspaper Archive reveals many hidden stories, such as this one. The short but violent history of an A38 improvement. The A370 junction at East Brent was supposed to be safer after a short stretch of D2 with refuges was built in November 1968. However, within months it had earned the name Murder Alley after various fatal accidents. It was changed to a rbt from Jan 1970, for completion by the summer season.

It looks fine to me but, drivers got into the habit of pulling out with out stopping. It was only a T junction, not a crossroads. Nowadays, surviving junctions of this design are D1. I guess on the congested A38 then, any rare chance to overtake was grabbed with both hands and the 2 lanes only started just before the junction.

The pics are supposed to magnify but, apparently that is not working.

https://wheathill.wixsite.com/holiday-roads

That is fascinating, thanks for finding it. My parents moved to Burnham in 1972, so even though Dad lived in Weston as a kid, I suspect they weren't really aware of this, or at least they had forgotten by the time I was old enough to be told. I do remember being told that the roundabout was built a little before the motorway came, and they presumed it was built in advance of the motorway in expectation of different traffic flows. I've updated the wiki page: East Brent Roundabout
The photos seem to suggest that the long two lane approach on the A38 from the south was the beginning of the short-lived dual.

I think that the short dualled section at the Fox and Goose to the south (White Cross (Brent Knoll)) probably dates from a similar time; perhaps the two junctions were conceived at the same time.

[owen b]

The A505 roundabout of Airport Way / Vauxhall Way / Kimpton Road in Luton was signalised probably 15-20 years ago. Congestion immediately dramatically worsened and the lights were taken out of service very quickly (weeks or months from recollection) and eventually removed. There are now plans to dual Vauxhall Way / Airport Way and the junction will be improved more thoroughly.

The A505 roundabout of Dunstable Road / Chaul End Lane / Oakley Road (Luton side of M1 J11) was also signalised about 20 years and the "improvement" never seemed to improve flow or throughput from what I could see. The lights were eventually removed several years later.

[tom66]

Shortest modern one I can think of is the Kegworth Interchange. It was "bypassed" with a signalised cut-through around 2015, but by 2019 it was gone - turned into a giant layby for the Highways Agency.

It looks like a not-insubstantial addition to the roundabout requiring groundworks, new signals, and signage, but only managed four years. The reconfiguration requires more groundworks and signalling changes. Would love to know the reason behind the change of heart.

[fras]

I’ll nominate the M6(T). Promoted as an instant cure for M6 congestion through Birmingham and the Black Country. The high cost of using it soon put paid to any significant benefits

Now £8.90 for a car regardess of time and day. There is a benefit for the car driver who can afford this, in that the road is quite lightly trafficked, and the almost total absence of HGVs means it is a pleasant interlude between the wall of steel that is the M6.
For me, the HGV toll of £15.90 is too low, when one thinks that it is HGVs that do all the damage to roads.

[wrinkly]

Re the discussion of East Brent (but not related to the actual subject of the thread), the M5 spur and temporary southern terminus at J22 (Edithmead) was originally planned to be further north than it was eventually built, and was then known as East Brent, but I forget whether it would have been at, or a bit north of, or a bit south of the present A38/A370 roundabout.

[Hdeng16]

Is M40 J10 anywhere close to being on the list in its various ‘upgrades’?

[zapalniczka]

B1050 round Longstanton had a short relief road built in the mid 2000s followed by a proper bypass in 2008.

Wasn’t that just by the spice museum?

[Steven]

The Keyway Stage II has to be one of the most ridiculous - a 5 year life span before being mostly torn up.

[Bryn666]

The Keyway Stage II has to be one of the most ridiculous - a 5 year life span before being mostly torn up.

I think that has to be one of the winners in terms of scale.

On a much lower scale a mini-roundabout installed on the A629 at the Calder and Hebble Junction lasted for a few weeks before it was ripped out for causing chaos. This reminds me, I must check the progress of that new junction sometime...

[jnty]

I’ll nominate the M6(T). Promoted as an instant cure for M6 congestion through Birmingham and the Black Country. The high cost of using it soon put paid to any significant benefits

It's still there though - I think the intent of this is road modifications that were quickly reversed or re-modified.

[tom66]

M6 Toll is great if your employer is picking up the tab. I always take it on my trips to north Wales.

[B1040]

B1050 round Longstanton had a short relief road built in the mid 2000s followed by a proper bypass in 2008.

Wasn’t that just by the spice museum?

If there's a spice museum in Longstanton, I've ⁹never heard of it.

Google reveals some of the joke.

[RichardA35]

Browsing through the British Newspaper Archive reveals many hidden stories, such as this one. The short but violent history of an A38 improvement. The A370 junction at East Brent was supposed to be safer after a short stretch of D2 with refuges was built in November 1968. However, within months it had earned the name Murder Alley after various fatal accidents. It was changed to a rbt from Jan 1970, for completion by the summer season.

It looks fine to me but, drivers got into the habit of pulling out without stopping. It was only a T junction, not a crossroads. Nowadays, surviving junctions of this design are D1. I guess on the congested A38 then, any rare chance to overtake was grabbed with both hands and the 2 lanes only started just before the junction.

The pics are supposed to magnify but, apparently that is not working.

https://wheathill.wixsite.com/holiday-roads

Charmouth Bypass had an early fatality after opening leading to the roundabout being introduced. Contemporary details of some previous crashes here