verbena wrote:
On Sep 29, 10:56 pm, "Richard J."
wrote:
Boltar wrote:
On Sep 29, 7:59 pm, "Richard J."
wrote:
You can still see the original curve of the M4 just to the
north-east of the J8/9 roundabout.

You can see it quite clearly in google earth, it looks quite
green. Did they dig up the road surface or did they just let it
return to nature on its own? If the latter it says a lot about
how long our infrastructure wouldn't last if humanity suddenly
vanished from the planet

I'm pretty sure they dug it up. There are, after all, hurriedly
constructed runways on wartime airfields which are still there 60
years later.

There's another strange bit further along between Junctions 7 and 6
on the north side, at the point where the sewage farm is on the
opposite side. I think it looks about where you have a sign for
Legoland. As I remember, the fence curves away from the carriageway
at that point.

That's comparatively recent. A bank of earth was erected some years ago
to provide noise protection for the housing estate that was built just
north of the motorway. Presumably for emergency access reasons, there
is a break in the bank, but it's arranged so that there is no direct
path through it in order to maintain the noise protection. It's at 51
30'31"N 0 38'28"W on Google Earth.

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)