Major / trunk roads built upon former railway routes?

[LickeyIncliner]

I was curious at that, so Google showed me what you meant!
(attached: former station's platform, building and canopy from Google Street View on the A483 at Welshpool)

Similarly at Melrose (already mentioned) :

 

[Indigo Soup]

Edinburgh’s Western Approach Road uses the trackbed of the route in to Princes St station - I guess it’s probably an A-Road.

Oddly enough, it doesn't appear to be a classified road at all!

Never built, of course, but the M67 from Manchester to Sheffield would have used the same corridor as the Woodhead route, and using the tunnel(s) for some motorway traffic was considered.

 

[AlastairFraser]

A340 Ringway West in Basingstoke is built upon a former railway alignment (part of the former Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway).

A33 in Reading north from Rose Kiln Lane to A329 Infernal Distribution Road (spelling intended ) is built on the alignment of the old Coley branch line to Reading Central goods depot. Some of the old trackbed can be walked on west of the section built on by the A33, and the A33 section is still recognisable as ex railway, because of the extant railway bridge that carries Berkeley Avenue over it.

There's also some evidence of the railway goods depot in the housing development that replaced it:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4...=EgoyMDI1MDMwOC4wIKXMDSoJLDEwMjExNDUzSAFQAw==

 

[Sun Chariot]

Never built, of course, but the M67 from Manchester to Sheffield would have used the same corridor as the Woodhead route, and using the tunnel(s) for some motorway traffic was considered.

I've a mental image of the two original bores being repaired and opened to road traffic - and consequential car "revving" through the tunnels...

OT... I experienced a seminal drive through an Alpine unlined single lane tunnel (Swiss-Italian border, although I can't recall which road and which mountain) in 2011.
The tunnel was dead straight, on an incline and controlled by traffic lights. We followed a Lamborghini Gallardo going up the incline. Suffice to say, we had our hire car's windows open all the way, to hear the Lambo's exhausts sing!

 

[PTR 444]

The A31 between Lake Gates roundabout and the Willett Road underpass (Wimborne bypass) runs close enough to the alignment of the original Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway, if not directly on top of it.

Broadstone Way is built directly on top of the Broadstone - Poole railway as far as the B&Q store. The section south of Cabot Lane is an A road (A349).

 

[DM352]

A374 in Plymouth Gdynia Way which seems a main road. It as a long time ago about 1988 as remember passing a boarded up dmu driving trailer parked at Laira before the ex railway section!

I did find an old thread that listed some more where some could be major/trunk roads
Railways that are now roads (2019)

 

[daodao]

The A40/A449 between Monmouth and Raglan.

 

[Sun Chariot]

I did find an old thread that listed some more where some could be major/trunk roads
Railways that are now roads (2019)

Thanks for thar link Before I started this thread, I had tried to find old threads on this topic but I used different keywords in my searches!

 

[Springs Branch]

A49 Westwood Way in Wigan is built on the western part of the ex-LYR Wigan Avoiding Line (a.k.a. Westwood Loop / Pemberton Loop).

This one won't be included in the list from 2019 in Post #66, as the road only opened around 2020.
There's 'passive provision' to continue the new road further eastwards along the old railway alignment - maybe one day completing a long-proposed (for decades and decades) link road between M6 & the M61 at Chequerbent.

 

[Indigo Soup]

I've a mental image of the two original bores being repaired and opened to road traffic - and consequential car "revving" through the tunnels...

It's unclear quite what the designers were thinking, as even the 'new' tunnel could only accommodate two lanes of traffic!

 

[sprunt]

The A56 west of Haslingden follows the route of the Accrington branch of the East Lancashire Railway.

Side by side georeferenced maps viewer - Map images - National Library of Scotland

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Part of the North Devon link road (A361) is built in the GWR Barnstaple - Taunton line. It even uses the pillars of Castle Hill viaduct.

No longer trunked, but parts of the old alignment of the A361 (now the B3227) also use the alignment of the same route.

 

[DM352]

Not sure if mentioned but the A4390 road is built south of Stratford Upon Avon station to the town limits. Years ago I asked the council about linking to Long Marston, a growing residential area with their decision, and the council response was they left "passive provision".

Edit: Is a major road for the town but not trunk as far as I know

 

[Dai Corner]

Parts of the A4042 trunk road between Newport and Cwmbran in south Wales.

 

[Bald Rick]

Not sure if mentioned but the A4390 road is built south of Stratford Upon Avon station to the town limits. Years ago I asked the council about linking to Long Marston, a growing residential area with their decision, and the council response was they left "passive provision".

They might think they have left passive provision, but they haven’t!

 

[181]

Part of the old ECML between Selby and York is now used by the A19.

 

[Hadders]

The A605 Oundle Bypass uses the alignment of the Northampton to Peterborough line.

 

[The Planner]

There must be loads of examples in South Wales in and around the valleys, not necessarily trunk roads though.

 

[DelW]

For a brief period in 2012, the A890 ran along a live railway route. The location was near the avalanche shelter south of Loch Carron, where the road and the Kyle line are squeezed together in a narrow gap between a high rock face and the shoreline.
A rock fall meant that work had to be carried out to stabilise the rock face, which meant standing heavy plant on the single-track roadway. To avoid major diversions, rubber pads similar to those used at level crossings were laid along a length of the railway track, enabling light vehicles to use it when no trains were nearby.

File:Driving on the railway line (C) John Allan - Geograph - 2902082.jpg - Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki

(Photo of the arrangement, caption below)

Description:​

Driving on the railway line (C) John Allan A section of the railway on the south shore of Loch Carron put to use as a temporary way for road vehicles during the long closure of the A890. The road was blocked by a landslide in December 2011 resulting in a diversion of some 140 miles. A relief ferry was used to relieve the situation for a while until the railway was prepared to take traffic for short periods during the day.

 

[Dai Corner]

For a brief period in 2012, the A890 ran along a live railway route. The location was near the avalanche shelter south of Loch Carron, where the road and the Kyle line are squeezed together in a narrow gap between a high rock face and the shoreline.
A rock fall meant that work had to be carried out to stabilise the rock face, which meant standing heavy plant on the single-track roadway. To avoid major diversions, rubber pads similar to those used at level crossings were laid along a length of the railway track, enabling light vehicles to use it when no trains were nearby.

File:Driving on the railway line (C) John Allan - Geograph - 2902082.jpg - Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki

(Photo of the arrangement, caption below)

That might also qualify as the longest/widest level crossing. I think that was how it was treated from the railway point of view?

 

[DelW]

That might also qualify as the longest/widest level crossing. I think that was how it was treated from the railway point of view?

I believe so, I've seen photos of gates across the track at the ends of the diversion section. Of course the train service was (and still is) pretty sparse, so there were plenty of gaps.

 

[poffle]

A5 in Northern Ireland. The Omagh and Strabane throughpasses are substantially built on the old alignments of the GNR(I) Portadown - Derry line. Also the Newtownstewart bypass.

 

[Indigo Soup]

I believe so, I've seen photos of gates across the track at the ends of the diversion section. Of course the train service was (and still is) pretty sparse, so there were plenty of gaps.

I believe that there was also a bus replacement rail service on the line at the time, as the closure cut Plockton high school off from a significant chunk of its catchment.

 

[Woolos 22]

The A 472 between Hafodyrynys and pontypool.
A467 between abertillery and blaina

 

[michaelh]

Dolgellau By-Pass

 

[Razorblades]

Just to add some detail to the A6091 Melrose By-pass mention. Travelling east from the station, the A6091 diverges to the south and for some distance, between former overbridges ETC118 and 119 the actual formation has been reused for the realigned Dean Road towards Newstead, which as a minor road leaves much of the NBR earthworks intact, if covered by mature trees.

 

[supervalkoinen]

Surprised no-one's mentioned A59 from M53 to Wallasey - Liverpool tunnel along the old Seacombe line.

 

[Rob F]

A6011 in Nottingham uses the former Midland Railway Trent crossing, now known as Lady Bay Bridge.

 

[D7666]

A338 ...... Fordingbridge Bypass ...... built along the course of the ................. Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway

Completely wrong on that one.

The Fordingbridge by pass is new construction running north-south to the east of the town, the Salisbury and Dorset railway ran ne-sw to the west.

Location Map.

Location map of 414680,114070.

www.streetmap.co.uk

the A338 (not part of the new build) crosses, indeed touches, but does not use, the line of the former railway south of where Upper Burgate is marked.

 

[ejstubbs]

The last ⅓ mile of the A703 into Peebles uses the line of the old Peebles Railway, from March Street down towards its junction with Innerleithen Road. The road goes through the site of the second station (Peebles East), which is marked with a plaque at ground level and a cutout of a steam engine on the wall above. The ~150 yards on the approach to the Innerleithen Road roundabout more or less follows the line of the curve that linked the North British to the Caledonian station on the other side of the Tweed, rather then the NBR's extension of the line towards Galashiels.

I always keep an eye out for the station "memorial" when I'm passing that way, and for the sole remaining railway building in the car park which now occupies the site of the NBR goods yard to the south.