Old A roads

[Richard A Thackeray]

The old surface at RedHouse where the A639 Wakefield - Doncaster road crosses the A1

This is a remnant from the pre dual-carriagewaying in the 60's

Apparantly, under the grass, there's more tarmac & cats-eyes &white-lines

[mjr]

The old surface at RedHouse where the A639 Wakefield - Doncaster road crosses the A1

This is a remnant from the pre dual-carriagewaying in the 60's

Apparantly, under the grass, there's more tarmac & cats-eyes &white-lines

OK, I'll say it: why the hell do they do that? They often dump earth on it or sometimes they even jackhammer the tarmac or spread that awful tar+gravel crap on it. Why not just leave us the full width of road-quality tarmac to use as a cycle track? Maybe some of it will be lost to lack of maintenance in a few years, but why deliberately sabotage it instead of reusing it? (Recycling? )

[Bmblbzzz]

My guess would be so it looks 'pretty' and 'natural'. Maybe also so it doesn't look like a 'road' to avoid people driving cars etc along it and to reduce complaints such as 'look at that road they've given to the cyclists'.

[millimole]

I'm sure Bmblbzzz is right - there can also be a (perceived) issue with travellers using areas such as this.

[Richard A Thackeray]

My guess would be so it looks 'pretty' and 'natural'. Maybe also so it doesn't look like a 'road' to avoid people driving cars etc along it and to reduce complaints such as 'look at that road they've given to the cyclists'.

This re-aligning/'dualling 'was done back in the late 60's, so not really something that was thought of back then

[arnsider]

On this subject, I would cite the old A 590 section from Gillpin Bridge around and under Whitbarrow Scar, though it is getting badly splayed at the edges!
A lot of touring cyclists use this route to get into the South Lakes.
A good tip here is to ride through the Arnside and Silverdale ANOB and get the train the one stop over the viaduct to Grange Over Sands.
That's of course if you want to avoid the A590 corridor from Levens Bridge entirely.

[Richard A Thackeray]

The 'old' A1 to the north of Fairburn village, but still south of Ledsham turn-off (Holyrood Lane)

When it was singled, all that happened was that the planings were piled up, & grassed over

It's the old northbound, that is heaped

[Bmblbzzz]

Beautiful sky there.