A61(M) Sheffield Urban Motorway Link

Where is it?

Sheffield.

No, it's not. There's no A61(M) there.

OK, OK. It was meant to be in Sheffield...

Ah, right - another unbuilt motorway.

Yes, that's right.

What's the story then?

The scheme was developed by Sheffield City Engineers Department, and was then inherited by South Yorkshire County Council in 1974, where some of the less ambitious elements continued through.

Like many plans in the 1970s, it missed the boat as far as actually being built, though it was never truly forgotten or shelved.

It made it as far as Central Government documentation, where it was referred to as "Sheffield Urban Motorway Link", with the following stages:
Stage 1 – Parkway to Queens Road junction - From the NE corner to the SE corner
Stage 2 – Penistone Road to The Wicker (A61/A57) - From the NW corner to the North
Stage 3 – The Wicker to Parkway and Granville Street (A57)" - From the NE corner to the North

Isn't the northern bit more or less being built to a lesser standard though?

Not far off the route in the plans, albeit to a more human scale, giving places like Kelham Island, Shalesmor and the Wicker an excellent chance of regeneration

It's interesting that the only thing that really differs from that plan to the present day is the grade-separation proposed on the east and north sides.

The course of the road as planned almost exactly corresponds to the present-day ring road (including the northern section still being built).

What would it have been like to drive around?

Completely mad - probably something similar to the Coventry Inner Ring Road (see CBRD)!

There would have been a rollercoaster ride pretty much all of the way around, with flyovers, elevated sections, and hills to go up and down. There would have been some desperate lane changing, as some of the junctions were very close together.

It would have also resulted in the demolishment of the listed railway arch at the Wicker...

Can you show me the route it would have taken?

I might just be able to do that...

Can I comment on this motorway?

Of course! Contact me and I'll put them here!

Have any other visitors commented?

An anonymous contributor adds:

I seem to remember some years ago (mid 70s?), Sheffield Council formally abandoning the 'Hillsborough Expressway'. this would have converted the A61 from Sheffield centre to M1-J36 into a motorway. The land was (and still is) reserved from the end of the Halifax Road dual carriageway.

A61(M)

Sheffield Urban Motorway Link

County:

Yorkshire

Length:

2 miles

3 km

Built:

Never

Status:

Unbuilt

Map Links:

Might Have Been Map

On other websites:

CBRD Coventry Ringway

Sheffield Roads Portal

 

Thanks to Haydn Vernals for his assistance with this feature.