Motorway junctions or bridges that were built prior to their road

[RJDG14]

I know that the grade separated roundabout at J4 of the M6 was originally built during the 1960s, a number of years before the M6 was built underneath it. This was how it looked in 1967:

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/ind ... =oneinch67

It would be interesting to know if there were any other junctions in the UK that were originally similar to this, not including ones that were originally built as temporary termini with the motorway/dual carriageway connecting to one side of the junction.

This 1972 OS map shows J19 of the M5 as being complete, with the motorway still unopened. I'm unsure though if it was originally built on its own (like J4 of the M6) or if it was simply the first part of the construction project for the Avonmouth section of the M5, though:

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/ind ... =oneinch72

The Avonmouth crossing immediately north of the junction was in the later stages of construction in 1973 when the US Geological Survey took high resolution satellite imagery of the UK.

[RichardA35]

Does the M42 M40 junction count where the M42 links and bridges were built and in use awaiting the M40 to plug into the junction?

[RJDG14]

Does the M42 M40 junction count where the M42 links and bridges were built and in use awaiting the M40 to plug into the junction?

I wouldn't count this, I'm afraid. There are plenty of junctions that were originally like this, including the M5/M50 junction and M4/A48(M) junction.

[Patrick Harper]

The top-level flyovers at Swanley and Mardyke are classic examples.

[nowster]

All of the bridges and junction stubs on the NE quadrant (Three Arrows to Daisy Nook) of the M60 were built several years before work started on the motorway itself.

[AnOrdinarySABREUser]

I believe that the A249 was dualled shortly before the M2 was built so the two routes could be opened around the same time. Because of this, traffic on the A249 was using the roundabout at Stockbury for quite some time prior to the opening of the M2. If I can remember correctly, the M2 west of Stockbury was opened before the section to the east was so traffic had to use the roundabout and head north along the A249 to reach the A2 to continue their journey, so this scenario could count as well.

[rileyrob]

This Bridge just off the M5 at Weston was built in the 1970s with the motorway junction and crossed a field for around 20 years before the dual carriageway was finally built under it in the 1990s. Not a motorway, but the original plan was (I think) for a motorway spur to pass under it.

[RJDG14]

This Bridge just off the M5 at Weston was built in the 1970s with the motorway junction and crossed a field for around 20 years before the dual carriageway was finally built under it in the 1990s. Not a motorway, but the original plan was (I think) for a motorway spur to pass under it.

Yep, I had that one in mind. It was something that I noticed when browsing through the freely downloadable satellite imagery on the USGS EarthExplorer from 1973, which covers much of southern England and the Midlands. The half built junction looks pretty out of place in the image.

[RJDG14]

All of the bridges and junction stubs on the NE quadrant (Three Arrows to Daisy Nook) of the M60 were built several years before work started on the motorway itself.

This image from 1999 of (I think) this portion of the road under construction suggests that might not have been the case, as there is what looks to be a bridge being built:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... 808057.jpg

[RJDG14]

The top-level flyovers at Swanley and Mardyke are classic examples.

By Swanley, do you mean Darenth? This is what the junction there looked like in 1973 (on a USGS satellite image that is in the public domain):



I probably wouldn't count it though since the junction did still serve a purpose despite the modern M25 to the south not having yet been built.

Here's what the northern end of the Dartford Tunnel approach at Mardyke looked like at the same time:



It was originally built without flyovers.

[nowster]

All of the bridges and junction stubs on the NE quadrant (Three Arrows to Daisy Nook) of the M60 were built several years before work started on the motorway itself.

This image from 1999 of (I think) this portion of the road under construction suggests that might not have been the case, as there is what looks to be a bridge being built:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... 808057.jpg

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/808057 is just south of Daisy Nook. That's the northern end of contract number 2.

Very roughly:

Contract 1 - Structures between Heaton Park and Daisy Nook
Contract 2 - All motorway between Denton Island and Daisy Nook
Contract 3 - Motorway between Heaton Park and Daisy Nook

Contracts 1 and 2 happened pretty much one after another. This led to there being a fully completed (including lane markings) and totally unused motorway between Denton Island and half way into a hill just north of the River Medlock viaduct at Daisy Nook for about 18 months before contract 3 was started.

[Bryn666]

Until last year you could spot the contract boundary very easily as it was where the streetlights changed from Urbis ZX3s to Philips Trafficvisions. It's all LED now, but the remaining clue is the different design of gantry structures - north of the Medlock uses the A frame gantry structure and south of there uses the older style solid leg.

The biggest engineering task was of course reshaping Audenshaw reservoir to cater for the curve in the M60.

[Steven]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned Catthorpe Interchange yet.

It is perhaps an edge case as it was never a termporary terminus, so doesn't fall foul of the rules. It also wasn't a junction at the time, so...

[wallmeerkat]

Not sure if it counts but M12(NI) the west facing onslip bridge was built 1967 but unused until 1991.

[RichardA35]

The top-level flyovers at Swanley and Mardyke are classic examples.

Here's what the northern end of the Dartford Tunnel approach at Mardyke looked like at the same time:

It was originally built without flyovers.

That's the southern of the pair of roundabouts - Mardyke is the northern one of the pair where the A13 now crosses and where the flyover was built ahead of the westwards extension of the improved A13.

[WHBM]

This bridge was built in about 1905, ready for the M25 to go under it 80 years later

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5826106 ... ?entry=ttu

[rhyds]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned Catthorpe Interchange yet.

It is perhaps an edge case as it was never a termporary terminus, so doesn't fall foul of the rules. It also wasn't a junction at the time, so...

I thought the Society had agreed never to speak of that abomination again?

[the cheesecake man]

There's this bridge built in 1840, about 120 years before the motorway

[IAN]

This Bridge just off the M5 at Weston was built in the 1970s with the motorway junction and crossed a field for around 20 years before the dual carriageway was finally built under it in the 1990s. Not a motorway, but the original plan was (I think) for a motorway spur to pass under it.

See here. https://pathetic.org.uk/unbuilt/weston_spur/

[jnty]

There's this bridge built in 1840, about 120 years before the motorway

We can all come up with something like that!

How about a bridge or two for a motorway that never arrived?