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These
signs are at Whitebirk Roundabout on the A6119/A678. Brand new green
signs were installed in 2005 to replace these ones. However, Hyndburn
resigned their part of the Whitebirk Interchange complex with white
signs. This presents an unusual anolomy of a primary road being
non-primary for about 200 yards. This area was meant to see the M65
continue west into Blackburn town centre. |
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Looking
around the roundabout towards Blackburn. This area has a 30 mph speed
limit and was constructed over the original crossroads.
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Behind
the roundabout is the disused alignment heading north west towards
Brownhill. In 1983 this was a trunk road carrying large volumes of
traffic.
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The
chicane on the bridge seemingly is to prevent excessive loading on the
80 year old structure. This road is effectively a driveway so the
narrowing has zero effect on traffic.
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This view shows the road curving around the former factory.
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The footpath here is just to the west of the original alignment and enables pedestrians to access the roundabout at Whitebirk.
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The bridge here has clearly seen little use since 1984. The result is one very overgrown structure!
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A transformer box on the site of the former factory. Behind it is the concrete bridge for the former A6119.
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The
flyover in the background is the current alignment of the A6119. Behind
it, the pylons are the only reminder of the former Generating Station
that existed on the site of the Peel Retail Centre. There are still
some transformers and high voltage cables within the retail park, but
these may be removed under plans to revamp the retail centre which is
now around 20 years old.
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The
concrete bridge seen from the old factory. Behind it, the access road
to the Range Garden Centre also crosses the canal. The Range was
formerly B&Q, who now operate a Warehouse at Townsmoor.
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All that remains of the factory are these gates. It is perfectly possible to access the site without having to climb a fence.
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The old bridge's retaining wall and 1984 flyover in the distance. The large pylon is beside the junction 6 roundabout.
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The scooter on the bridge belongs to me. Note the remains of catseye marker studs in the centre of the road.
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The bridge into The Range is quite average, but has high parapets thus hiding the old road from view.
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It
seems strange that a new bridge was constructed alongside the old one,
but it appears to be a traffic management reason more than anything
else - too much traffic would've used the bridge otherwise.
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Slightly
to the north is another section of disused alignment, this part was
taken out of service in 1999 following reconstruction of the junction
for Peel Retail Park.
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One
half of the railway bridge here is older than the other - the left span
is original to the 1928 road, the right span was added later. The
footway to the left is all that remains of the original alignment.
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This 1960s archive photograph shows the Leeds & Liverpool Canal being drained, while the A6119 bridge passes overhead.
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An archived aerial view of the newly completed alignment, showing most of Greenbank Business Park under construction.
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Archive photography of Whitebirk Crossroads in the 1930s.
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This
1970s archive photograph shows a scene that doesn't exist at all today.
Even the A6044 is now a B road. The only thing that remains here is the
pylon in the background. The rest has been swept away - the cooling
towers were imploded in May 1982.
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