I spent quite a long time, probably a solid couple of hours going through the British Roads FAQ on Roads.org.uk. I found map locations for those that fascinated me the most. It presented an extensive FAQ and I’ve shared a small sample of questions and explanations below. Links and all due credit should go to Roads.org.uk of course. I embellishing them with additional facts and figures complied from various other Internet sources. Naturally I left plenty of wonderful morsels untouched so go to the FAQ and have fun.
Where is the highest section of motorway in Britain?
Roads.org.uk noted the very highest point, the “M62 Summit… in the wilds of Saddleworth Moor” between Manchester and Leeds. A sign placed at the summit signified its prominence as the highest motorway in England at 372 metres, or 1221 feet. Various other sources considered this to be the highest motorway in the entire UK. Maybe the Highways Agency decided to play it safe by specifying England only?
Also note that this pertained to motorways; certainly other roads (those not motorways) climb higher.
Where is the narrowest section of motorway in Britain?
This seemed to be a true oddity, a unique situation for British motorways. Only the southern portion of the Carnforth Spur, A601(M), included a single carriageway (one lane of traffic going in each direction) in the entire system. This segment, lasting only about a third of a mile. Pathetic Motorways called it “… probably the section of motorway with the lowest standard in the UK.”
With only two lanes, and being the only segment of British motorway where that occurred, it becomes the narrowest section of motorway by default.
What’s so bad about the Hanger Lane Gyratory?
I liked this one primarily because I’d never seen the term gyratory before. I didn’t even know the word existed. So I consulted The Free Dictionary which defined it as “Having a circular or spiral motion.” From what I could determine, a gyratory in the context of British roadways signified something considerably larger and/or more complicated than a typical roundabout or traffic circle. Mostly I wanted an excuse to type gyratory.
The Hanger Lane Gyratory handles traffic at a point where the North Circular Road, Western Avenue and Hanger Lane all came together in London (map). The reason for its badness, as summarize by the FAQ, related to its particularly poor design.
Two additional points piqued my interest:
- The interior of the gyratory circle included the Hanger Lane tube station. It protruded above ground even though part of the London Underground. An oddity within an oddity!
- The BBC reported that this specific gyratory received the most votes for scariest junction in Britain.
What’s so bad about Spaghetti Junction?
Spaghetti Junction became a well-known Birmingham traffic landmark because of its stunning complexity. The M6, A38 and A38(M) all joined together at Gravelly Hill in spectacular manner (map). The same poll naming Hanger Lane the scariest junction voted Spaghetti Junction in second place.
Spaghetti Junction even had its own entry on Yelp. Contributors inexplicably rated it four stars. One reader stated, “Yes, Yelp, I actually am a fan of Spaghetti Junction. Firstly, it’s called Spaghetti Junction. That’s awesome. What other stretches of motorway are named after pasta shapes?” Actually lots of others existed. However, that didn’t make Birmingham’s version any less awesome. Spaghetti Junction continues to terrify motorists after more than forty years.
What’s the secret “Works Exit” on the M4?
I’m not sure why this one caught my interest other than I’m always fascinated by a good conspiracy theory. This location had a bunch of them. Roads.org.uk investigated the mysterious motorway egress and noted its “signs have red borders, implying a military exit.” Indeed it once served as a back entrance to a Royal Air Force Station, RAF Welford (map) although it’s no longer in use. The Google Street View car actually took the exit until stopped by a gate. Another back entrance ended in restrictive fencing and razor-sharp concertina wire.
The main presence at RAF Welford in recent years was actually the Air Force of another nation, the United States. The USAF stores bombs in vast quantities at this facility to be rained down on conflicts around the globe. It supports the Global War on Terrorism as an example. Consider the size of the Welford bunker in the photograph released by the USAF, above. Then ponder the number of bunkers in the satellite image. Those roads lead to tremendous firepower.
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