Oswestry Update

I'd be inclined to agree with this. If the A5 were made a dual carriageway, there would be no obligation to keep the crossing or replace it with a bridge - "You want it, you pay for it" would I expect be the likely response to lobbying on the issue

 

Could they use a pump/Wickham trolley to give rides across the A5 to show it is in use so they don't have to pay for the bridge.

 

There are however similar precedents. On the M6 toll a group are restoring a canal. Even though they are not yet that close an aqueduct has been built over the motorway in anticipation of the canal being rebuilt. Dont know how finances were shared but likely that toll road paid a major chunk

 

Lets hope the team behind the A5 are as co-operative!

 

The railway was there first. The Highway Authority chose to cross it by a level crossing. It can certainly be used to the extent that it was and I suspect, to the limit of the infrastructure. If the road is altered the Highway Authority (in this case Highways England) must either tolerate the continued use of the level crossing or provide a bridge.

 

Are you sure about that? I don't know this particular stretch of the A5 but I do know that it's essentially the old Roman road from London to Holyhead and I vaguely seem to recall that railways came just a little later on.

 

Ah, that's fair enough then - in that case I agree, but the key if at all possible would be to get trains running over it before any road upgrade comes along.

 

You're a bit wide of the mark there! The Roman Road was Watling Street and turned south-westwards at Wroxeter. Beyond there the Holyhead Road was laid out by Telford on a mixture of existing and new alignments. This crossing is on a new alignment put down I think in the 1980s.

 

Where does Holyhead come into it? That is the present A5. From Wroxeter the Roman road went NNW to Deva (Chester).

 

Whether you call that bit Watling Street or not, the road near Oswestry was laid out by Telford and the level crossing is on a new bit installed in the 1980s. Therefore, the railway was there first and the road builders chose to cross it at grade.

 

Sadly I don't think Highways will take any notice of that. If it's cheaper to take the railway out of the equation completely they will

 

The A44 Broadway bypass built a bridge over the disused track-bed of the line the G&WR want to reopen which was opened in 1998. The A46 has had a bridge built over the Grantham canal which was been built in 2011. In both of these cases you are saying they should have just saved money and not consider anything else and obstructed both of this track-beds and dried up canal, and do no forward planning at all for other going on around where the road is been built. With both these cases where bridges and most likely others they will have a far harder case not to build a bridge over the railway. Yes some money might have to be found, and this could be set by how much other times has been payed for bridges to be built.

 

Elevating the road increases the noise pollution and may get some pushback if there are houses nearby. Conversely, if the roundabout were flyovered that would reduce noise pollution. To what extent could the railway be lowered?

 

No that's not what I'm saying at all - I'm saying that cynically Highways will likely go for the cheapest option, and if they can avoid having to accommodate the railway I suspect they will unless there is additional funds forthcoming. The A44 and A46 bridges are both good pieces of evidence that Highways may be more accommodating, however I think both these instances are bridges at road height, meaning they would have had to be bridged or in-filled regardless. In this case the road itself would have to be raised at additional cost.

Just to be clear I'm not saying it won't happen, and I'm certainly not saying I don't want it to happen, but I'm fearful that the entire idea hinges on Highways being even receptive to the idea, and money being forthcoming to do it.

 

Sorry incorrect in both cases.
A46 raised to go over the canal https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.9...4!1sYRsAf65ffNd94K7zR8a4cw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
A44 raised to go over the railway https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.0...4!1sG7pWlIiO5lNo7Zf-JLRX0g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 Yes there looks like a farmers underpass for the A44 near by but it would still have been far cheaper to just fill in or the case of the canal just a few pipes to keep both sides drained.