Trivia: large diversions etc. compared to the thing they are diverting around

[py_megapixel]

I was just reminded of the time a few months ago when about a 5 metre section of Crookes Road in Broomhill, Sheffield was closed in one direction only. Inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but it sent the 52 bus route on an enormous detour, which missed out, by my count, 16 of the usual stops, added 10 other stops, and bypassed Crookes and Broomhill entirely!

What other examples are there of very substantial disruption to bus services being caused by insubstantial disruption to the road network?

 

[WY Bus Spotter]

I remember being on an Arriva Yorkshire 118 (Wakey - Leeds), and about 30 yards of road at Carr Gate junction was being resurfaced so we had to go down the M62 to the next junction and back up again to the other side of the closure.

5.2 mile diversion for a 30 yard road closure.

However... no stops missed.

 

[JonathanH]

Some years ago, Ride London caused the then X26 to go from Heathrow Airport to, I think, New Malden via the M25 and A3 because of a road closure through Kingston.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Stagecoach South route 13 will be diverted from 4th to 29th August for around six hours a day (roughly 0930-1530) due to daytime roadworks taking place on a bridge on Green Street. The bridge itself is only a bus length or two long and carries the road over a small stream (you barely notice you're on a bridge, click here to view Google Streetview). Route 13 will run off-route for over 10 miles as a result, via Selborne and Greatham, totally skipping the villages of East Worldham and Kingsley.

 

[WibbleWobble]

A number of years back saw the Leigh - Bolton 582 divert via Tyldesley and Little Hulton to divert around the railway bridge on the A579 which was being replaced.

I also recall a small closure at Heywood which saw the 400 Bolton - Stockport run divert via the M62 to reach Sudden Tesco.

 

[Martin1988]

I remember being on the old X14 Bristol to Newport route on an occasion where the old Severn Bridge was shut so we had to divert via the M5 to the new one and then once across, divert back to Thornwell/Chepstow.

Was back in early 2008 so quite a few years ago but remember my younger self being really amazed at the time.

 

[The exile]

I remember being on the old X14 Bristol to Newport route on an occasion where the old Severn Bridge was shut so we had to divert via the M5 to the new one and then once across, divert back to Thornwell/Chepstow.

Was back in early 2008 so quite a few years ago but remember my younger self being really amazed at the time.

At least there was the new one - imagine the diversion via Gloucester!

 

[Martin1988]

That would have been quite a trip. A case of "I've been three hours on this bus and I only wanted to go to Tesco"!

 

[43055]

The odd time the A52 has been shut between Ashbourne and Derby the swift has diverted via the A515 to the A50 to come into Derby via the A38. One time on bus times one took it a bit further and went up the A6 to the A52 from Nottingham!

The transpeak (Derby-Buxton) has before gone via Ashbourne if there is an issue on the A6 missing out half or most of the route.

 

[dgl]

Whenever the coast road from Portesham to Bridport is closed (there are a few accidents from careless drivers) they have to divert by the A35 by turning off at Portesham. This then misses out Abbotsbury, Swyre and Burton Bradstock.

Also when the main street is closed in Lyme Regis buses end up doing the same road twice on each journey, passing through Uplyme both on entering Lyme and Leaving again or missing out Uplyme altogether if the road past Uplyme is closed for any reason, last time only a short section of road was closed one time due to a dodgy building in Lyme hight street.

Another one is when the relief road from Weymouth to Dorchester has been closed (either roadworks or an accident) the number 10 and 31 buses divert via Preston and Broadmayne. This has sometimes resulted in an extra service running for customers past Littlemoor roundabout (previously lights) as that's where the diversion starts. One of these occasions resulted in some buses being diverted due to traffic caused by temporary traffic lights due to emergency roadworks, what were the roadworks for, to fix an Openreach manhole cover, so in reality the actual issue was on less than a metre of road.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Just had one recently in Wiltshire with the A36 being closed at Limpley Stoke for many months whilst the embankment was pinned and secured.

The D2x from Frome to Bath runs along the A36 and used deckers. The normal alternative route (following the D2 route via the B3110 and Hinton Charterhouse) heads under a low bridge at Midford. Therefore, the route instead went via Radstock and Peasedown St John providing an hourly frequency to places that had a two hourly Solo trundling through (which still continued to run).

Oddly, at the end of the closure, the D2/D2x were recast, now used single deckers throughout and instead of using the A36, now travel via Midford.

 

[TheSel]

A short stretch of the B5430 is closed for about 6 weeks, leading to a very significant diversion to M&H Coaches' service 2 between Mold and Ruthin.

The usual journey time Ruthin - Llanarmon-yn-Ial is 17 to 20 mins. A temporary timetable is in place, with that being increased to 35 minutes due to the diversion via Graianrhyd, Eryrys and Maeshafn. Effectively the bus is having to do a 'double run' off the A494 between Gwernymynydd and Cadole, passing through Maeshafn, Eryrys, Graianrhyd to servce Llanarmon-yn-Ial, then returning again through Graianrhyd, Eryrys and Maeshafn to the same point on the A494 before carrying on its merry way. 'Normal' and 'Temporary' timetables attached below.

 

[sannox]

There is a closure of South Road at the edge of East Kilbride next week. 200m or so of the road is being resurfaced. This will lead to a 5 mile diversion for the First Glasgow service 6. It will miss 2 miles of the route out through Busby.

 

[SSmith2009]

A few years back (2021 I think) a very small section of the B582 Blaby Road bridge over the midland mainline in South Wigston (Leicestershire) was closed for most of the 6 weeks of summer holidays, it required a 3 mile detour for a 100 metre stretch...

 

[AWWisher]

Because of a short, emergency road closure between Glasshouses and Pateley Bridge on 20 July 2025, Dalesbus 822 diverted via Harrogate and Skipton taking 90 minutes.
https://bustimes.org/services/822-p...n/vehicles?date=2025-07-20#journeys/753836513

 

[Shauny]

The 60 bus that runs between Macclesfield & Hayfield is currently having to divert via the Cat & Fiddle Road and go into Buxton due to the collapse of the B5470 road between Rainow & Kettleshulme.

However, this diversion only runs a couple of times a day, as there are shuttles buses going between Hayfield & Kettleshulme, and Macclesfield & Rainow.

 

[M60lad]

There's also the diversion 199 Mancherster Airport-Buxton (Skyline) takes when main A6 is closed between Hazel Grove and Disley as it then runs via High Lane, Hawk Green, Marple & New Mills, in fact 199 can be full of interesting diversions as and when parts of the route are closed due to RTCs or other reasons.

 

[Harpers Tate]

Near here, a section of road just under 600 metres long is to be closed for extensive resurfacing work for 20 days - offpeak weekday hours only.

The alternate route for a bus-sized vehicle (there is another way smaller traffic might use) is a little over 10km, if one is to continue to serve as much of the normal route as feasible.

What is intended: buses will divert over a much shorter direct route and in so doing will completely omit a section of route around 6km in length with many stops in relatively significant places.

There will also be a shuttle, not timed to connect well with the diverted service, running between the points of diversion via the extended 10km route.

The schedule given for the shuttle suggests that it takes 7-8 minutes longer than the normal route (on a normally ~1 hour journey). That, seemingly, is more than the operator considers it can cope with, hence the shorter diversion plus shuttle.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

A short stretch of the B5430 is closed for about 6 weeks, leading to a very significant diversion to M&H Coaches' service 2 between Mold and Ruthin.
The usual journey time Ruthin - Llanarmon-yn-Ial is 17 to 20 mins. A temporary timetable is in place, with that being increased to 35 minutes due to the diversion via Graianrhyd, Eryrys and Maeshafn. Effectively the bus is having to do a 'double run' off the A494 between Gwernymynydd and Cadole, passing through Maeshafn, Eryrys, Graianrhyd to servce Llanarmon-yn-Ial, then returning again through Graianrhyd, Eryrys and Maeshafn to the same point on the A494 before carrying on its merry way. 'Normal' and 'Temporary' timetables attached below.

I use this road about twice a week to reach Wrexham, and have yet to find a better route than the switchbacks via Eryrys and an extra 5 miles.
There are shorter links to the A494, but they are narrow, not signposted and already congested by locals who have to use them.
The closure is for "bridge works" over the Alyn, though no reason has been given or an indication of the scale of the works.
Using the summer holidays for the work won't have helped the local caravan parks' tourist business.

There is also an extended road closure on Chester Road, Mold, but at least the diversion is a bit simpler!