Sandy Lane overbridge, view north, 21 October 1996

Sandy Lane overbridge, view north (see all photos of the same view)

The bridge at Sandy Lane was later to start than most on the contract, but is now taking shape, with all its steelwork in place. The deck has yet to be formed. Traffic continues to use the diversion around the east, and until it can run over the bridge, the cutting for the motorway cannot be completed.

Date
Direction of view
North
Structures visible

Structure 16 (Sandy Lane overbridge)

Roads visible

B5256 Sandy Lane

What's new

The road that made no sense

It was the UK's only single-carriageway motorway, and twenty years ago it ceased to exist. This is the story of the strange fascination it held, and of my place in history.

The forever bottleneck, part 2

The second part of the story, where we learn why exactly the M4 gets narrower on the final approach to Europe’s biggest city.

The forever bottleneck, part 1

The M4 into London was one of the UK's earliest and most ambitious motorway projects. It was bold, pioneering... and almost instantly regretted.

Share this page

Have you seen...

Mickleham Bends

Once it was one of the UK's most dangerous roads — just what is so special about a bit of dual carriageway in Surrey?