How many would use this, had it been built?

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wiggydiggy

Legendary Member
Great picture! Can I ask where you got it?

I have cycled the existing flyover, but wasn't keen and preferred to got through town. Its not a normal commute for me but I can approach 'fax from the direction of the picture and its basically a rollercoster. Commuting in Calderdale by bike gets anyone fit very quickly!
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
The narrow Calderdale valley is almost unique in having a heavy concentration of residential and industrial buildings along almost all its length; the only other place I can think of with such steep sides and intensive use is the Welsh valleys. The need for water power was what brought the factories and all the ancillary activities to the valley bottoms. In most of the valley the river then the canal then the railway then the turnpike road, in more or less that chronological order, jostle for space, making it a unique landscape and great for mountain biking but not too good for road cycling.

Todmorden.bmp

Class_110_crosses_Gauxholme_No_2_Viaduct_at_Todmorden.jpg
 
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classic33

classic33

Leg End Member
Great picture! Can I ask where you got it?

I have cycled the existing flyover, but wasn't keen and preferred to got through town. Its not a normal commute for me but I can approach 'fax from the direction of the picture and its basically a rollercoster. Commuting in Calderdale by bike gets anyone fit very quickly!
The picture I got off a website. However the local paper ran the same picture a few years ago, as well as details of the scheme.
Had it been built the exit for the upper tier would have come back down above Peoples Park, at what is now the Achen Way.
 

wiggydiggy

Legendary Member
The narrow Calderdale valley is almost unique in having a heavy concentration of residential and industrial buildings along almost all its length; the only other place I can think of with such steep sides and intensive use is the Welsh valleys. The need for water power was what brought the factories and all the ancillary activities to the valley bottoms. In most of the valley the river then the canal then the railway then the turnpike road, in more or less that chronological order, jostle for space, making it a unique landscape and great for mountain biking but not too good for road cycling.

Mary Townley loop is on my challenge 2014 list for my new MTB I keep threatening to get. Part of the 'West Yorkshire Cycle Route' passes near here but like you say its quite a steep ride.

I have cycled the canal (Rochdale) from Manchester to its finish just outside Halifax and you can continue to Brighouse very easily on the Calder/Hebble, its no road bike route but anything 28c or better could do it. Quite pleasant but set off early from Manc as the first few miles are very grotty and potential chav holes!
 
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classic33

classic33

Leg End Member
Great picture! Can I ask where you got it?

I have cycled the existing flyover, but wasn't keen and preferred to got through town. Its not a normal commute for me but I can approach 'fax from the direction of the picture and its basically a rollercoster. Commuting in Calderdale by bike gets anyone fit very quickly!
Its from a page thats also on facebook, "Old Pictures Of Halifax".
 
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classic33

classic33

Leg End Member
The road between Hipperholme and Halifax is like a roller coaster and has some shocking corners, wouldn't want to travel along it on an icy day.

I passed through Halifax recently, and the existing single flyover seemed adequate, I wasn't aware of any bottleneck.
Still trying to work out where these "shocking corners" are. The only two I can think of are at the top & bottom of Halifax Road. Under the bridge at the top & before/after the lights at the bottom. On that one ignore the marked cycle lane, or you'll end up in the pub car park.
 
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classic33

classic33

Leg End Member
@the_mikey, Roundabout is also smaller & has more traffic lights controlling it now. Every now & again they get the timing of the lights right, which means someone else has to come out to "fix" the timing. You must have been lucky.
 
Location
Todmorden
The narrow Calderdale valley is almost unique in having a heavy concentration of residential and industrial buildings along almost all its length; the only other place I can think of with such steep sides and intensive use is the Welsh valleys. The need for water power was what brought the factories and all the ancillary activities to the valley bottoms. In most of the valley the river then the canal then the railway then the turnpike road, in more or less that chronological order, jostle for space, making it a unique landscape and great for mountain biking but not too good for road cycling.

Todmorden.bmp

Class_110_crosses_Gauxholme_No_2_Viaduct_at_Todmorden.jpg
I loved the history lesson but I must just point out that the Upper Calder Valley is rather good for road cycling.
Indeed the picture of Gauxholm Arches reminds me that Bacup Road,the monster on our doorstep is up and to the right.It`s all about getting out of the valley bottom and onto the tops.
 

the_mikey

Legendary Member
Still trying to work out where these "shocking corners" are. The only two I can think of are at the top & bottom of Halifax Road. Under the bridge at the top & before/after the lights at the bottom. On that one ignore the marked cycle lane, or you'll end up in the pub car park.


Under the bridge at the top was the one I was thinking of :eek:
 
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classic33

classic33

Leg End Member
Under the bridge at the top was the one I was thinking of :eek:
Thats not that bad. Gets a bit narrow, but other than that if you hold your ground its safe enough. The bottom one with the bus stop before it & the lights/junction after it can be worse going down.
 
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Globalti

Legendary Member
I loved the history lesson but I must just point out that the Upper Calder Valley is rather good for road cycling.
Indeed the picture of Gauxholm Arches reminds me that Bacup Road,the monster on our doorstep is up and to the right.It`s all about getting out of the valley bottom and onto the tops.

The valley bottom roads are terrible for cycling; they are narrow, congested and often in bad condition thanks to utilities digging them up. The climb out of the valley bottom is often steep but yes, once you're out on the open fells the landscapes are superb although that road from Bacup to Todmorden is hardly pretty at the top with the pylons and the dumped refuse and the stinky maggot farm!

On the couple of occasions when I have ventured south into the industrial valleys rather than north to my more usual rides in the Ribble Valley and Bowland Fells, I've found the traffic harrowing and too heavy to ride two abreast, which takes away most of the enjoyment of the ride.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
The valley bottom roads are terrible for cycling; they are narrow, congested and often in bad condition thanks to utilities digging them up. The climb out of the valley bottom is often steep but yes, once you're out on the open fells the landscapes are superb although that road from Bacup to Todmorden is hardly pretty at the top with the pylons and the dumped refuse and the stinky maggot farm!

On the couple of occasions when I have ventured south into the industrial valleys rather than north to my more usual rides in the Ribble Valley and Bowland Fells, I've found the traffic harrowing and too heavy to ride two abreast, which takes away most of the enjoyment of the ride.
I'm not keen on the valley roads either.

I agree about the pylons at the top of the Bacup Road. I stopped to take a picture of the view on a ride in the autumn, but decided not to bother because the pylons and power cables spoiled the shot.

Something is happening on the land above Sharneyford where much of the rubbish used to get dumped. There was a lot of activity when I was last up there. I wonder if they are thinking of starting up coal mining again? Or maybe they are putting up a windfarm?

I think Pendlebury Bait went bust years ago. It really was a stinky place when I first rode up past their premises on a hot day!
 

ayceejay

Guru
Location
Rural Quebec
There is a monstrosity like that in Montreal that is crumbling like most of the city infrastructure including the Olympic stadium. All construction for the last 70 - 80 years has had the Mafia as its 'overseer' so concrete was substandard, reinforcing too. I have a friend whose sister travels up from Maine and when she crosses one of the bridges she winds the windows down just in case she ends up in the St Lawrence, I don't think this plan will work myself.
EchangeurTurcot.jpg
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
I'm not keen on the valley roads either.

I agree about the pylons at the top of the Bacup Road. I stopped to take a picture of the view on a ride in the autumn, but decided not to bother because the pylons and power cables spoiled the shot.

Something is happening on the land above Sharneyford where much of the rubbish used to get dumped. There was a lot of activity when I was last up there. I wonder if they are thinking of starting up coal mining again? Or maybe they are putting up a windfarm?

I think Pendlebury Bait went bust years ago. It really was a stinky place when I first rode up past their premises on a hot day!

Just a mile NE from Sharneyford at the top of Green's Clough there is indeed a working coal mine, which, if it's anything like other mines and quarries of marginal profitability, probably opens and closes as the price of coal vs. the cost of extraction goes up and down. There's a stone quarry on top of Hambledon Hill, which only gets worked occasionally when the stone fetches a good price.
 
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