Why does the M40 terminate so far outside London? A quick check of
aerial photos and a map shows that the A40 Western Avenue runs through
mostly open land between the M40 terminus and the A312 Church
Rd./Mandeville Rd. roundabout junction, with all of the junctions in
between fully grade-separated. With the M40 extended to the Church Rd.
junction, the A40 could be diverted along the path of the A4020,
running through Uxbridge and Hillingdon as far as the A312 roundabout,
where it could turn north and intersect the M40 at its new terminus.

Is there some particular reason why the M40 doesn't terminate closer in
to London? (i.e. the existing road needed to retain full access? NIMBY?
lack of money?)

TheOneKEA wrote:
Why does the M40 terminate so far outside London? A quick check of
aerial photos and a map shows that the A40 Western Avenue runs through
mostly open land between the M40 terminus and the A312 Church
Rd./Mandeville Rd. roundabout junction, with all of the junctions in
between fully grade-separated. With the M40 extended to the Church Rd.
junction, the A40 could be diverted along the path of the A4020,
running through Uxbridge and Hillingdon as far as the A312 roundabout,
where it could turn north and intersect the M40 at its new terminus.

Is there some particular reason why the M40 doesn't terminate closer in
to London? (i.e. the existing road needed to retain full access? NIMBY?
lack of money?)

The A40 was not totally grade-separated along that section until fairly
recently - the Master Brewer junction in Hillingdon was flat until a
bypass (and new Tube station) were built about ten years ago.

Aside from that, there are probably more disadvantages than advantages
to restricting access and changing all the signage and street furniture
(if necessary) along here. Whilst the M40 is a relative newcomer and has
an very obvious parallel unrestricted route (the A40), the Western
Avenue has been around for a long time (70 years?) and the unrestricted
alternatives would be rather awkward for local traffic.

The Western Avenue serves local traffic in a way that the M40 does not
(compare the 5kms between the M40's first two local junctions with the 1
or 2km spacing on the A40). The Western Av. is also now managed by TfL
as part of the TLRN, and it would be counter-intuitive to hand it over
to the Highways Agency when efforts have been made elsewhere to hand
roads from the HA to TfL (A102(M), A40(M), M41).

--
Dave Arquati
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

"TheOneKEA" wrote in message
ups.com
Why does the M40 terminate so far outside London? A quick check of
aerial photos and a map shows that the A40 Western Avenue runs through
mostly open land between the M40 terminus and the A312 Church
Rd./Mandeville Rd. roundabout junction, with all of the junctions in
between fully grade-separated. With the M40 extended to the Church Rd.
junction, the A40 could be diverted along the path of the A4020,
running through Uxbridge and Hillingdon as far as the A312 roundabout,
where it could turn north and intersect the M40 at its new terminus.

Is there some particular reason why the M40 doesn't terminate closer
in to London? (i.e. the existing road needed to retain full access?
NIMBY? lack of money?)

The junctions weren't always grade-separated, and now that they are,
that part of the A40 usually flows smoothly. There doesn't seem to be
any point spending many millions to increase capacity round Uxbridge and
Ruislip when the choke points and flat junctions on the A40 are further
into town -- there's a long tailback every morning, which wouldn't be
helped in the slightest by extending the M40 to the Target roundabout.
There had been plans to widen the A40 near Wormwood Scrubs in the 1990s,
but they were dropped about a decade ago.

On Oct 5, 10:18 pm, Dave Arquati wrote:
The A40 was not totally grade-separated along that section until fairly
recently - the Master Brewer junction in Hillingdon was flat until a
bypass (and new Tube station) were built about ten years ago.

Ah, now I understand - I thought that the A40 was already
grade-separated by the time the M40 was extended to its current
location.


Aside from that, there are probably more disadvantages than advantages
to restricting access and changing all the signage and street furniture
(if necessary) along here. Whilst the M40 is a relative newcomer and has
an very obvious parallel unrestricted route (the A40), the Western
Avenue has been around for a long time (70 years?) and the unrestricted
alternatives would be rather awkward for local traffic.

Indeed. Any such traffic would have to detour a long way south to reach
any decent road corridor.

Just out of curiosity, what sort of restricted traffic _would_ be
diverted away anyhow?


The Western Avenue serves local traffic in a way that the M40 does not
(compare the 5kms between the M40's first two local junctions with the 1
or 2km spacing on the A40). The Western Av. is also now managed by TfL
as part of the TLRN, and it would be counter-intuitive to hand it over
to the Highways Agency when efforts have been made elsewhere to hand
roads from the HA to TfL (A102(M), A40(M), M41).

There is also that - why did the legislation that created TfL leave out
the authority to manage a motorway anyhow?

Nigel Pendse wrote:
The junctions weren't always grade-separated, and now that they are,
that part of the A40 usually flows smoothly. There doesn't seem to be
any point spending many millions to increase capacity round Uxbridge and
Ruislip when the choke points and flat junctions on the A40 are further
into town -- there's a long tailback every morning, which wouldn't be
helped in the slightest by extending the M40 to the Target roundabout.
There had been plans to widen the A40 near Wormwood Scrubs in the 1990s,
but they were dropped about a decade ago.

Houses alongside that section of the A40 were compulsorily purchased to
permit that widening. Anybody know if they were sold back or sold to
other people or are they just left empty ?
Cheers,
Baz

On 5 Oct 2006 15:42:40 -0700, "Marratxi"
wrote:

Houses alongside that section of the A40 were compulsorily purchased to
permit that widening. Anybody know if they were sold back or sold to
other people or are they just left empty ?

There is a massive amount of construction going on between White City
and Savoy Circus, and some to Gipsy Corner. Looks like HA
construction as it's not the usual box concrete of the "throw it up
and sell" brigade but that's a guess. They're building right to the
pavement too. Wonder what pollution numbers are like there?

A lot of brownfield sites are being filled in by HAs: witness the
Ladbroke Grove/Harrow Road corners with flats right at the junctions.

--
Old anti-spam address cmylod at despammed dot com appears broke
So back to cmylod at bigfoot dot com

Colum Mylod wrote:
On 5 Oct 2006 15:42:40 -0700, "Marratxi"
wrote:

Houses alongside that section of the A40 were compulsorily purchased to
permit that widening. Anybody know if they were sold back or sold to
other people or are they just left empty ?

There is a massive amount of construction going on between White City
and Savoy Circus, and some to Gipsy Corner. Looks like HA
construction as it's not the usual box concrete of the "throw it up
and sell" brigade but that's a guess. They're building right to the
pavement too. Wonder what pollution numbers are like there?

A lot of brownfield sites are being filled in by HAs: witness the
Ladbroke Grove/Harrow Road corners with flats right at the junctions.

--
Old anti-spam address cmylod at despammed dot com appears broke
So back to cmylod at bigfoot dot com

Have a look at:
http://www.cbrd.co.uk/histories/ring...nradials.shtml

regards,
Sunil

"TheOneKEA" typed


Just out of curiosity, what sort of restricted traffic _would_ be
diverted away anyhow?

Cyclists (I used to cycle from Golders Green to Hillingdon,
occasioanally using the A406 + A40)

I have a friend who cycles to work in Gerrards Cross from his Camden home.

General local traffic.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Dr. Sunil wrote:

(snip)

Have a look at:
http://www.cbrd.co.uk/histories/ring...nradials.shtml

regards,
Sunil

Totally off topic but is this the famous Sunil of 'covered every line
in zones 1-4' fame? I've only become a usenaut fairly recently but
courtesy of a time travelling machine called Google I've read much
about your past exploits - perhaps I should expand on that a little for
those who're slightly curious as to what I mean - your past London
transport exploration exploits.

Colum Mylod wrote:
On 5 Oct 2006 15:42:40 -0700, "Marratxi"
wrote:

Houses alongside that section of the A40 were compulsorily purchased to
permit that widening. Anybody know if they were sold back or sold to
other people or are they just left empty ?

There is a massive amount of construction going on between White City
and Savoy Circus, and some to Gipsy Corner. Looks like HA
construction as it's not the usual box concrete of the "throw it up
and sell" brigade but that's a guess. They're building right to the
pavement too. Wonder what pollution numbers are like there?

Correct, I think it's Shepherd's Bush Housing Association. The flats
being built next to the A40 are meant to have some sort of filtering
system to avoid sucking in pollution from the road. The glass sections
in the middle contain a winter garden.

A lot of brownfield sites are being filled in by HAs: witness the
Ladbroke Grove/Harrow Road corners with flats right at the junctions.



--
Dave Arquati
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London