Most crossed road ?

[Peter X]

14 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

Could be but I'll wager the M5 crosses the most canal.

JP

The M5 is a contender; I count it at 15. Ten before it gets out of Birmingham, then another two near Worcester, two in Somerset and the Exeter canal.

But it depends how you count crossings where it runs above the line of the canal, e.g. near Spon Lane. Is anyone out there idle enough to do their own counts for the A5 and M5?

I looked at other suggested roads but they don't seem to be in the running. I think the A6 might take third place.

[Scholar Gypsy]

10 hours ago, Peter X said:

I reckon the A5 scores 14 canal crossings. The OP's question excludes the crossing of the River Severn at Shrewsbury.

Yes, I got to 13, when in discussion with a friend about this excellent book, which I hereby plug. It explains inter alia the difference between the A5, Watling Street, and the road to Holyhead: https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Ancient-Road-Holyhead-Journey-ebook/dp/B0754PQCKP/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1510056391&sr=8-2&keywords=hudson+a5&dpID=61a%2BfxKgAIL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

This is a bit like the question "Which tube line intersects with every other tube line?"

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

30 minutes ago, Peter X said:

At only twice per lap (Slough Arm and GU; it just misses the start of the Basingstoke) that would be a very long tedious drive to clock up more canal crossings than the A5. 7+ laps of the M25; it doesn't bear thinking about!

A5 would be my guess to OP's question. 

If so: Grand Union, Ashby, Coventry, a few of the Birmingham canals, and then where? The Shroppie?

[Scholar Gypsy]

34 minutes ago, Peter X said:

At only twice per lap (Slough Arm and GU; it just misses the start of the Basingstoke) that would be a very long tedious drive to clock up more canal crossings than the A5. 7+ laps of the M25; it doesn't bear thinking about!

The M60 (Manchester) would offer a faster route to infinity, i think? Last time I went underneath it I nearly hit a car, one could see the skid marks coming down the embankment.

[Peter X]

Anyone doing an A5 recount should not overlook its crossing of the Regent''s Canal, above the Maida Hill tunnel. You have to follow it a long way north to reach its second canal crossing, just south of MK.

[Scholar Gypsy]

Just now, Peter X said:

Anyone doing an A5 recount should not overlook its crossing of the Regent''s Canal, above the Maida Hill tunnel. You have to follow it a long way north to reach its second canal crossing, just south of MK.

And you remind me that it is no longer a continuous road, it has a different number (A5183) between Elstree and Dunstable.  So I think MK must be crossing #1...

[Captain Pegg]

29 minutes ago, Peter X said:

The M5 is a contender; I count it at 15. Ten before it gets out of Birmingham, then another two near Worcester, two in Somerset and the Exeter canal.

But it depends how you count crossings where it runs above the line of the canal, e.g. near Spon Lane. Is anyone out there idle enough to do their own counts for the A5 and M5?

I looked at other suggested roads but they don't seem to be in the running. I think the A6 might take third place.

It also crosses over Lapal Tunnel on the abandoned Dudley No 2, the navigable Warwickshire and Somerset Avons, and the former line of the Stroudwater and Grand Western canals.

JP

3 hours ago, RLWP said:

No, I correctly identified the Saltley cut as GU, then misidentified the Aston while doubting that the M6 crossed the B&B&F*

Richard

*That's right isn't it? Birmingham and Birmingham and Fazeley?

Yes that's right. I was just being plain lazy.

JP

[JohnEW2912]

I make it the M6 crosses 15 different waterways, assuming the count BCN waterways by their individual names with a total of 20 crossings: -

Oxford / Coventry / Grand Union / Birmingham & Fazeley / Tame Valley (5 times) / Rushall / Walsall / Wyrley & Essington / Lichfield & Hatherton (in water) / Staffs & Worcs / Trent & Mersey / Bridgewater / Manchester Ship Canal / Leeds & Liverpool / Lancaster (2 times, once the Northern Reaches in water)

[Ex Brummie]

With regard to bridges framing bridges, a contender must be the Staffs & Worcs between Aldersley and Autherley Junctions, if you count the pipe bridges into Barnhurst Sewage Plant. There are & if I recall correctly.

[Captain Pegg]

I only count three crossings of the Tame Valley by the M6. I think the other two Tame Valley crossings are the M5 link roads which are two of what I count as nine canal crossings of the BCN by the M5 plus another couple of sections that are on top of but don't cross the Old Main Line. I haven't counted Lapal Tunnel in that number.

The M5 definitely makes the most drama out of intersecting canals. It has the long viaducts at Exeter and Strensham, the Avonmouth bridge, the Droitwich culvert, the viaduct over Titford pools, the elevated sections over the Old Main Line, a foundation that is in mid-channel of the New Main Line and the aqueduct over the western M5-M6 link.

JP

[JohnEW2912]

Looking at online mapping I'm fairly confident the M6 crosses the Tame Valley three times very close to Spaghetti Junction, as well as three separate slip roads. And then again twice near Perry Barr, so five times in all for the main carriageway.

[RLWP]

9 minutes ago, John Wareing said:

 I'm fairly confident the M6 crosses the Tame Valley three times very close to Spaghetti Junction

Very near the junction, adjacent to Moor lane, then at the bottom of the flight up to the Walsall road

https://www.google.co.uk/search?tbm=lcl&ei=EQMCWp2JB8GvkwXYpoKgDw&q=a38m&oq=a38m&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l10.10108.12301.0.13157.4.4.0.0.0.0.112.352.3j1.4.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.4.348...0i131k1j0i67k1.0.ZVbWx8yK54Q#rlfi=hd:;si:;mv:!1m3!1d21850.37168892939!2d-1.873969293630239!3d52.51861322513632!3m2!1i1500!2i864!4f13.1

Richard

[JohnEW2912]

That's interesting, google maps shows the canal on a very different line to apple maps. The latter has the Tame Valley doing an ox-bow type bend and therefore the M6 crossing twice very quickly. I've no idea which is right except that google generally has the better reputation.

[RLWP]

9 minutes ago, John Wareing said:

That's interesting, google maps shows the canal on a very different line to apple maps. The latter has the Tame Valley doing an ox-bow type bend and therefore the M6 crossing twice very quickly. I've no idea which is right except that google generally has the better reputation.

The Google map is much how I remember that stretch

The Apple map is probably modified for tax purposes

Richard

[JohnEW2912]

Must be the diversion to Jersey...........

[matty40s]

2 minutes ago, John Wareing said:

Must be the diversion to Jersey...........

well that will include the english channel as well then...

[magpie patrick]

7 hours ago, Peter X said:

At only twice per lap (Slough Arm and GU; it just misses the start of the Basingstoke) that would be a very long tedious drive to clock up more canal crossings than the A5. 7+ laps of the M25; it doesn't bear thinking about!

Added to which the M25 isn't actually continuous as the eastern Thames Crossing is not part of it, so you can't drive round in never ending circles without leaving it

You can on the M60 though, which makes the M62 not continuous

The M4 sets a Welsh record with 5 - Monmouth Canal main line, Crumlin Branch, Glamorgan (just west of J32, the canal is in water both sides) Giants Grave and Briton Ferry (a short extension of the Neath) and the Swansea Canal, although the last one isn't apparent at the crossing. The Neath river is also navigable, and navigated regularly by coastal vessels, where the M4 passes over it

This may mean the M4 crosses more Welsh navigations that English ones...

[Captain Pegg]

21 minutes ago, John Wareing said:

That's interesting, google maps shows the canal on a very different line to apple maps. The latter has the Tame Valley doing an ox-bow type bend and therefore the M6 crossing twice very quickly. I've no idea which is right except that google generally has the better reputation.

I think Apple maps may have the River Tame and the Tame Valley canal mixed up. I looked at it in satellite view which I think makes it easier to distinguish. The Birmingham & Birmingham & Fazeley runs as near as damn it straight on into the Tame Valley (through 10 bridges which makes it a contender for the other prize) while the B&B&F and Grand Union (Warwick & Birmingham Junction) turn off that alignment. The M6 main carriageway only crosses the main canal alignment once and also each of the two 'arms' immediately south of Salford Junction (North and South).

JP

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, John Wareing said:

I make it the M6 crosses 15 different waterways, assuming the count BCN waterways by their individual names with a total of 20 crossings: -

Oxford / Coventry / Grand Union / Birmingham & Fazeley / Tame Valley (5 times) / Rushall / Walsall / Wyrley & Essington / Lichfield & Hatherton (in water) / Staffs & Worcs / Trent & Mersey / Bridgewater / Manchester Ship Canal / Leeds & Liverpool / Lancaster (2 times, once the Northern Reaches in water)

It also crosses the disused Anson Branch.

By Lichfield & Hatherton I assume you mean the Hatherton Branch. The M6 does not cross the so-called Lichfield Canal.

[Tonka]

The op asked "most crossed road". This implies that the canal crosses the road so why have you listed where the road crosses the canal.

[Captain Pegg]

4 hours ago, Tonka said:

The op asked "most crossed road". This implies that the canal crosses the road so why have you listed where the road crosses the canal.

No it doesn't. Crossing under something is still crossing.

JP

[Peter X]

I'm with Captain Pegg on his definition of "crossed". Although I suppose a very pedantic person could argue that whichever came later crossed the other. Under that rule motorways and other modern roads cross canals except in a few rare cases where a dismantled canal crossing has later been reinstated. And canals cross quite a lot of old roads which were there before them.

Then there's the definition of canals. I would only include those which are in current use, ignoring any temporary closures for repairs. I would exclude rivers, but there are many places where a river flows into a canal then out again which I would include as canal, for example I'd include the Trent at Alrewas but not at Sawley; why?. Tricky things, definitions.

So it looks as if we have four contenders around the 15 crossings mark; the A5, M5, A6 and M6. I'd be losing the will to live if I tried to reach a clear opinion, others may have the time and patience.

[Ace 01]

Most crossed road?   Isn't that the one that the chicken crossed?

 

Coat and door spring to mind.  LOL

[GUMPY]

On 07/11/2017 at 11:40, Peter X said:

At only twice per lap (Slough Arm and GU; it just misses the start of the Basingstoke) that would be a very long tedious drive to clock up more canal crossings than the A5. 7+ laps of the M25; it doesn't bear thinking about!

I crosses the mainline GU twice! Once at junction 19 and once at junction 20. The exit at 19 is still M25  for about a mile after it leaves the main route

https://goo.gl/maps/oFrqsGuoWs92

Edited November 8, 2017 by Loddon

[Scholar Gypsy]

On 11/7/2017 at 19:25, magpie patrick said:

Added to which the M25 isn't actually continuous as the eastern Thames Crossing is not part of it, so you can't drive round in never ending circles without leaving it

You can on the M60 though, which makes the M62 not continuous

The M4 sets a Welsh record with 5 - Monmouth Canal main line, Crumlin Branch, Glamorgan (just west of J32, the canal is in water both sides) Giants Grave and Briton Ferry (a short extension of the Neath) and the Swansea Canal, although the last one isn't apparent at the crossing. The Neath river is also navigable, and navigated regularly by coastal vessels, where the M4 passes over it

This may mean the M4 crosses more Welsh navigations that English ones...

We use the M4 to South Wales a lot, and always try to stop for a coffee at 14 locks visitor centre at Newport. Leave the M4 at Junc 27 and head north west for a half mile or so. Well signposted on the right. Not open 24 hours I am afraid. Very good bacon and eggs last Saturday...

http://fourteenlocks.mbact.org.uk/