A102(M) Blackwall Tunnel Southern Approach
A102(M) | ||||||||||||||||
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Blackwall Tunnel Southern Approach | ||||||||||||||||
From: | Blackwall Tunnels (TQ394790) | |||||||||||||||
To: | Kidbrooke Park (TQ408767) | |||||||||||||||
Distance: | 2 miles (3.2 km) | |||||||||||||||
Met: | A102, A206, A2052, A207, A2 | |||||||||||||||
Now part of: | A102 | |||||||||||||||
Traditional Counties | ||||||||||||||||
Route outline (key) | ||||||||||||||||
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For The East Cross Route, now A12, see A102(M) East Cross Route.
The Blackwall Tunnel Southern Approach connected the Blackwall Tunnel to A2 and was part of the eastern side of the proposed Ringway 1 in London.
Route
The Blackwall Tunnel Southern Approach headed south from the Blackwall Tunnels at Blackwall Lane Interchange along the Greenwich Peninsula, to Sun in the Sands Roundabout at Shooters Hill Road in Kidbrooke, where it met the A2.
History
The 1.8 mile section was opened on 25 April 1969 by Richard Marsh, Minister of Transport. It was the first stretch of road to be built to motorway standards by the Greater London Council and had dual three lane carriageways, 33 foot wide. This wording in the Middlesex County Times seems to indicate that it was not a motorway from the outset and the appropriation notices for the highway to become a Special Road were published in December 1970. It became a Special Road and A102(M) on 3 March 1972 per the Gazette notice. It was downgraded back to A102 about 2000 (although the Gazette notice has not been seen).
Both sections of A102(M) were intended to form parts of the eastern side of Ringway 1 in London, though in actuality they formed almost all that was ever built. Despite some maps showing the full route from Hackney Wick to Kidbrooke as motorway, including the river crossing itself, neither the tunnels themselves nor the northern approach road were ever part of the motorway. The two sections were linked by a section of primary A102, built to a similar standard but which has footpaths, bus stops and local road accesses along its length.
Links
Roads.org.uk
Pathetic Motorways