pH Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 This topic came to mind because of a recent trip through the southern part of British Columbia. (I know - not UK, but allow me to go on.) On it, I drove over a couple of fairly long stretches of highway which have been built on top of the routes of abandoned railways. They are quite distinctive, having easy gradients and curves – they really stand out from other roads in this mountainous area. The first stretch I drove was about 30km on BC highway 3 from Princeton to just west of Hedley, on the alignment of part of the Great Northern ‘Third Mainline”, intended to connect Spokane and Vancouver, BC (though through service was never started). A few days later, I drove about 30 km on BC highway 31A from the outskirts of Kaslo to Bear Lake. This road is built on the route of Great Northern’s narrow gauge Kaslo and Slocan, which was later taken over and converted to standard gauge by the Canadian Pacific. I know of another section of road in BC built on top of a railway route – over 60km of highway 3 in the Elk valley, on the route of Great Northern’s Crow’s Nest Southern. There’s even a short tunnel on the route which was opened out to allow a two-lane road through it. This all got me thinking – how many such roads are there in the UK? I know of the ‘Heads of the Valleys’ road, partly built on the L&NWR’s Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway. Also, the Edinburgh Western Approach road was built along the former Caledonian Railway line into the city. But what other UK roads have been built on top of abandoned railways? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 12, 2016 East Grinstead. Part of the former Three Bridges - Ashurst Junction route was used to built an inner ring road or similar. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 Sutton Bridge. The road uses the former railway bridge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 12, 2016 North Devon link road is built on a few stretches of the Taunton to Barnstaple line near Barnstaple, Filleigh station and South Molton. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 12, 2016 The new A15 round Boston uses a fair chunk of the old main line. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 Loads! The A14 round Huntingdon between Huntingdon East and Godmanchester, the A14 Chatteris Bypass, a couple of misguided busways, part of the link road from the M4 towards Barry, the Llantrisant to Penygraig branch and many, many more. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 12, 2016 The Otley bypass in West Yorks uses the old Otley and Ilkley joint line in part complete with some bridge abutments. The A650 between Gildersome and Drighlington (west from M62 J27) uses the trackbed of the old GN route from Wakefield to Bradford. Jamie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 12, 2016 A minor road following the River Wye from Llanstephan to Erwood http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=311679&y=241916&z=120&sv=Llanstephan&st=3&tl=Map+of+Llanstephan,+Powys+%5BTown%5D&mapp=map.srf The earthworks and bridges give it away - the yellow road to the right of the river. I can still hear an Ivatt Class 2 echoing up the valley with two coaches on a Three Cocks to Moat Lane working every time we go fishing there Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 12, 2016 The A283 Steyning bypass follows the trackbed of the Shoreham to Horsham line. It passes over the site of the station...you can still see the old goods shed beside the road. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Daddyman Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 12, 2016 Parts of the M90 over Glenfarg, the A85 in places between Lix Toll and Crianlarich.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AberdeenBill Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 A short link road in the New Forest follows the track-bed of the Old Road from Holmsley (A35) to an unnamed junction a couple of km to the east. Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 12, 2016 Not forgetting the Connel bridge although it was a shared road rail bridge when the line was still open. The line from Par to Fowey including the tunnel being a private road for clay movement after the tracks were removed. Green Ayre bridge in Lancaster Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branksome71B Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 Parts of the A518 between Donnington and Newport (Salop) use the exLNW line from Wellington - Stafford. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 12, 2016 M25 on a section of the Westerham branch Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
black and decker boy Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 M60 through Stockport (under the viaduct) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 12, 2016 Part of the A38 near Ashburton. The bypass of Bovey Tracey Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 12, 2016 West of Lakeside station in Cumbria Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben racey Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 The Shropshire and Montgomery railways bridge over the Severn on the crib ion branch is now used by a road. It appears to be quite a spindly affair! Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 12, 2016 The road to Key West Florida although a lot of the bridges that were converted have now been replaced with newer road bridges Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 12, 2016 My avatar was taken on the former Denver South Park and Pacific trackbed at the top of Boreas Pass. The 1 in 25 gradient was a lovely steady ride even though the last few miles were all over 10,000 feet. It's now a gravelled road having been closed since the late 1930's. Jamie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 M60 through Stockport (under the viaduct) This didn't actually occupy the trackbed, which was in a tunnel at this point and is visible further east and west very close alongside the M60 further east. However works associated with the motorway did, I believe, result in destabilisation of one of the tunnels and closure of the route. The A47 uses the former trackbed of the GN's link to the M&GN around Eye and about three miles of the Swaffham-Dereham line. Sutton Bridge has been mentioned but I think the A17 occupies the M&GN trackbed all the way to South Lynn. A34 uses bits of the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 12, 2016 I shall be going over one on my way to work very shortly the A148 Holt by pass on the M&GN Other parts of the joint that haven't been mentioned are the A149 near North Walsham and between stalham and potter Highham and the N&S joint between Yarmouth and Gorleston is under the A12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
joppyuk1 Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 The A16 from Boston to Spalding uses the old GN/LNER line. Most structures have dissapeared, but the station building and goods shed at Algakirk remain in use as some sort of industrial training centre. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium keefer Posted August 12, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 12, 2016 Parts of the M90 over Glenfarg, the A85 in places between Lix Toll and Crianlarich.... Indeed, main reason for the closure of the Perth direct route was that using the trackbed through Glenfarg made the M90 so much cheaper Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 Here in North Wales, a 2 mile section of new 2 track main line was built in the 80s alongside the old former 4 track section from Colwyn Bay to Mochdre. The old formation then became part of the A55 by pass. A case of not using a closed line. Similar happened in Welshpool where you have to cross the by pass by footbridge to access the new station. And the by pass at Llanidloes is on the former Brecon - Moat Lane line with the former station still standing overlooking the traffic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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