Guess the road

[Zoe]

In this game, you must guess the road based on a description posted. Classified Motorways or A roads only.

First road:

This is a long road but only half is trunk, the other having been bypassed many years before be another road. A major bottleneck on this road was cleared in 2007 but two others remain.

 

[Eagle]

The A30

 

[Zoe]

The A30

Correct. Didn't expect anyone would respond that quickly, your turn.

 

[Eagle]

You're messing with a member of SABRE here...

I'm going to keep it fairly easy.

This is a trunk road, but hardly the most major and mainly single-carriageway; despite this it's part of the E-road network (which is actually operated by the UN, surprisingly) because it's part of the route between two ports.

 

[Nym]

Not the only member of SABRE on ere birdiefloof...

Alas, I don't know this one...

(Not without looking up my Euroroutes anyway)

 

[Eagle]

Clue: this road closely parallels one railway line for its entire length. It parallels something else more famous too.

 

[Ivo]

Considering the E-routes, my first thought was the A75 - but really?

Considering the above, I'll change that to the A69. But it hardly links two genuine ports...

 

[Eagle]

Correct, it's the A69 (Carlisle–Newcastle), part of E18 (Craigavon–St Petersburg). Interestingly driving the length of E18 is impossible, because it uses two ferry routes (Larne–Stranraer and Tyneside–Kristiansand) that have ceased to run.

 

[Ivo]

I didn't know the Kristiansand route had ceased? What route would Top Gear use for London to Oslo now?

Let's give this a try then...

A coastal route by nature, much of this road is bypassed by a two-digit A road that serves as the primary road between several cities. However, part of this road, specifically between a junction just outside a major resort and literally two or three miles from its terminus (also the terminus of a major motorway), is a primary road - but with the exception of a short stretch in a "classy" resort, this section is entirely single carriageway.

 

[SwindonPkwy]

Is it the A27?

 

[Ivo]

You chose the wrong one. The A27 is the two-digit road in the question. (Big clue there guys )

 

[SwindonPkwy]

A259? Is the "classy" resort Brighton?

 

[Ivo]

The classy resort is not Brighton, but you have the correct answer. The classy resort is Bexhill.

 

[Nym]

A259.

Damn char count, and you not think Bognor Regis is classy?

 

[SwindonPkwy]

An old Roman Road which originated at Hyde Park Corner and followed what is now Edgware Road out of London.

 

[Zoe]

An old Roman Road which originated at Hyde Park Corner and followed what is now Edgware Road out of London.

The A5.

 

[Nym]

The A5

KAK!

 

[SwindonPkwy]

A259.

Damn char count, and you not think Bognor Regis is classy?

To be honest, I've been to very few of those South coast resorts. When your parents take you to Cornwall year in year out, it's a hard habit to break!!

 

[Nym]

I've only been to Ryde, Shanklin and Portsmouth, many a time in Portsmouth actually, quite a lot of fun there

 

[SwindonPkwy]

It's with you Zoe. The A5 is correct.

 

[Nym]

It's with you Zoe. The A5 is correct.

We knew that...

 

[Zoe]

Thank John Prescott for the two bottlenecks that remain on this major route out of London.

 

[Nym]

A1, a2, a3, a4, a5, m1, a1000, m11, a12, a13, a2, a20, a27, a30...

(All of those...)

 

[Zoe]

A1, a2, a3, a4, a5, m1, a1000, m11, a12, a13, a2, a20, a27, a30...

Yes but on this route there were only two bottlenecks remaining, the rest of it had been grade separated and the last two junctions were due to be grade separated the schemes were quite far advanced when they were shelved before the election and then Prescott decided they should not be built at all.

 

[Nym]

Pure guess, it isn't the A12 is it? Wanted to slow the invation of Essex?

 

[Zoe]

Pure guess, it isn't the A12 is it? Wanted to slow the invation of Essex?

No, the A12 would be near impossible to to due to the London Underground station at Gants Hill. In this case houses had been bought and demolished ready for the construction to start only for the land to sit empty for years.

 

[Nym]

So thats every road project in the early 90s then?

 

[Zoe]

So thats every road project in the early 90s then?

Most early 1990s road projects wouldn't have got as far as having all the houses demolished and construction about to start and then get cancelled. This as I say was on a major route out of London and had it been built would have created a fully grade separated route from the M25 all the way to the ring road.

 

[Nym]

Isn't the M27 is it?

 

[Zoe]

Isn't the M27 is it?

No, the M27 isn't a major route out of London. I'm surprised no-one is getting this as the fact the houses had been demolished and the scheme then cancelled was quite notorious.