The Heeley Bypass - The Road Nobody Wanted

[muddycoffee]

The Heeley Bypass, was a plan which was dreamed up in the 1960s as far as I know. The plan was to demolish all the back to back housing at Heeley Bottom ( now long gone ) and drive a new dual carriageway road up the hill past Heeley to ease traffic congestion.

Predictably there was widespread opposition, which lasted for 25 years and the bypass never got built, but it didn't stop lots of land from being cleared in preperation for the scheme. And eventually Heeley City Farm was developed on some of this land.

 

Even today there is still a swathe of green grass along some of the route, the Heeley Horse and some children's play areas too.

 

What I am wanting to know is does anyone have details of the completed route. Did it go from Granville Roundabout or was it meant to join up with Bramall Lane, and whereabouts on the southern route was it supposed to join up with the A61 again. I remember Chesterfield Road in the 70s being much narrower at the heeley sidings ( now where Matalan is ). Looking at a modern A to Z it would probably made sense to join London Road through or near the old Heeley Palace around Oak street.

 

Does anybody have any info as I find things like this fascinating. And It would be interesting to consider how the area would have developed differently up until 2005.

[WallBuilder]

When I was a lot younger I lived at the bottom of CarterKnowle road and can remember a publicity van being parked there with plans and the like. As I was only about ten or so the details are very blurred but I'm sure there was talk of a road going towards Chesterfield road that would of meant a lot of houses being demolished and the Abbey Glen laundry. My mum's main concern was that they were going to put in a roundabout at the bottom of C/K road which would of been dangerous for the kids in the area and also it would of been slap bang next to our house, or at least the house we lived in..

A few years after they knocked down a lot of the houses and small shops at the junction of Broadfield road and Abbeydale road again with the intention of installing a roundabout, I don't know whether this was connected with the same scheme.

[Captain_Scarlet]

muddycoffee, I am looking at the Council's maps of the project now.

 

I can therefor tell you that the dual carriage way would have started at the Hole-in-the-Road, proceeded down Arundel Gate, Eyre Street, Bramall Lane.

 

At the junction with Queens Road, the 2x2 would have continued up Myrtle Road as far as the junction with Prospect & Midhill Roads, turned right up the now park parallel to London Road South.

 

The junction with Chesterfield Road is blurry, it seems to be between Valley & Thirwell Road.

 

As you cna see now, the park finishes opposite the old Sheffield Electric Tramway depot on Albert Road, so I would be inclined to think the junction would have been made around Pizza Junction/Shaan's Indian Takeaway.

 

 

Also in the same plans, the Bramall La. / Aslnine St junction would have been a roundabout.

Queens/London/Wosley Rd = Roundabout with a second dual carriage way on Queens Road all the way up the junction with Abbeydale Road.

 

Also interesting to point out that the Inner Ring Road (Hannover Way + St Mary's Gate) would have been fully dual cariageway ised with motorway style junctions (roundabout below the 2x2 with slip roads) with exits at Queens Road, Bramall La, Ecclesall Road, Broad La and Gibraltar St.

The Ring Road would have been extended up Shrewsbury Road, Granville St and joined the Parkway where it meets Cutler's Way Roundabout.

 

Pffffeeeew, a lot of BS that didn't happen... Traffic jams yes, but pleasant areas (where I live for that matter) that would have probably been destroyed. After building these proposed roads, there would have been no Sheffield left to drive on them: LOL

[muddycoffee]

Originally posted by Captain_Scarlet

Pffffeeeew, a lot of BS that didn't happen... Traffic jams yes, but pleasant areas (where I live for that matter) that would have probably been destroyed. After building these proposed roads, there would have been no Sheffield left to drive on them: LOL

 

Thanks CaptainS, that was all very revealing. Is there anywhere where these maps can be viewed on line?

 

Many other cities did do schemes like this and when you go to places like Leeds and Manchester today, they have big wide boulevard arterial roads. Whereas sheffield still has mainly tight narrow main arterial roads.

This in my opinion has left many parts of sheffield with an old fashioned "compact" feel in many areas. Which of course most of us welcome and it adds to the character and distinctive feel to our city.

Although I expect over the decades some of these narrow arterials may get opened out due to commercial development. Just like Chesterfield road at Heeley, New penistone Road, Queens road outside the B&Q. All these three roads have in my lifetime have lost buildings or premises on one side and expanded to fill. Where they used to be much narrower.

[derek]

I worked for Abbey Glen laundry on Coniston road, off Abbeydale road, from 1977 to 1986. I recall during that time there was a proposal to create the Heeley Bypass that involved the loss of the company premises. If I remember correctly, a numberof businesses in that area would have had to have been relocated. Would that tie in with the routeing given earlier. The route I recall being discussed was a continuation of Queens road onto the bottom of broadfield road before cutting a line roughly parrallel to chesterfield road, where it was to go after it had pased the bottom of Woodseats road i can't bring to mind. As a van driver for Abbey Glen I was dissappointed when it didn't go through because it would have meant a nice new factory we could get in and out of easily instead of the vitorian building designed for the horse and cart, which is still in use to this day.

[muddycoffee]

Thanks Derek,

 

It sounds like Heeley Bypass was one part of a larger network of roundabouts and improved roads around the Queens road, London Road, Abbeydale road areas.

 

While it is interesting to wonder wether these schemes would have been an improvement over the long run to our city, I am reminded of the arterial roads in london, especially the A40 where 6 lane roads full of gridlocked traffic run on land which was once front gardens and tree lined pavements, now reduced to tiny pavements with armco barrier along them, allowing a pedestrian to squeeze along past front windows and doors. and also the Beautiful large mock tudor semis which were expensively evicted of residents and then squatters before being hurridly demolished just as the money ran out, leaving just grass humps as a sad reminder of the lovely neighbourhoods and communities.

 

Pictures of lovely homes destroyed in the 1990s for a road scheme

[muddycoffee]

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but my thoughts wandered back to this subject today after I read about some interesting motorways which were never built. Especially the M67 which should have gone all the way from the centre of manchester to the north of sheffield.

 

It seems that if recession in the 1970s hadn't happened we would be living in a city full of massive dual carriageways with motorway intersections.

 

Yes I was wondering today if the Heeley Bypass hasn't been built by stealth. Although downgraded, many sections of the A61 are large and wide enough to take a big dual carriageway. The main pinch point being woodseats police station. You could even take 6 feet from the front of the bigtree and blue room car parks to allow a big road to have an extra lane without losing the phoenix chip shop.

 

If you head further into town along queens road. I am sure that the new B&Q, the netto block on the former tramsheds and the ice rink lost some land to make the road wider. As opportunities for adjacent redevelopments occur, it seems that the city planners quietly widen the arterials.

 

I am currently keeping my eye on the site where a terrace has been demolished at the Queens road / Myrtle road traffic lights, to wonder if a new filter lane might appear to aid the flow of traffic turning left.

As there is shortly to be improvements to the Granville Square roundabout, my predicition is that route off the ringroad south, via queens road will be prioritised making it the major way out of the city toward chesterfield, maybe brammall lane will be downgraded?

And thus we have arrived by stealth at a different version of a huge road going through Heeley, rather than evicting residents for the heeley bypass, the natural turn over of property and a couple of extra decades of patience has given us almost the same thing but with much less fuss.

[RiffRaff]

I lived at Heeley Green, and I definitely wanted it!

[muddycoffee]

I lived at Heeley Green, and I definitely wanted it!

Well up there your property was safe from demolition but you were in an ideal place to take full advantage of a new road. For people up there it would be like having a smashing new drive.!

 

 

If you head further into town along queens road. I am sure that the new B&Q, the netto block on the former tramsheds and the ice rink lost some land to make the road wider. As opportunities for adjacent redevelopments occur, it seems that the city planners quietly widen the arterials.

 

I am currently keeping my eye on the site where a terrace has been demolished at the Queens road / Myrtle road traffic lights, to wonder if a new filter lane might appear to aid the flow of traffic turning left.

As there is shortly to be improvements to the Granville Square roundabout, my predicition is that route off the ringroad south, via queens road will be prioritised making it the major way out of the city toward chesterfield, maybe brammall lane will be downgraded?

And thus we have arrived by stealth at a different version of a huge road going through Heeley, rather than evicting residents for the heeley bypass, the natural turn over of property and a couple of extra decades of patience has given us almost the same thing but with much less fuss.

 

Further to that, if there are still plans to redevelop the Arnold Laver DIY, they could take 6 feet of the car park there making the whole of the meersbrook stretch wide enough to take a dual carriageway. The bus stop outside the Dixons/Matalan estate used to be yards from the main kerb.

[bigflesh]

I am currently keeping my eye on the site where a terrace has been demolished at the Queens road / Myrtle road traffic lights, to wonder if a new filter lane might appear to aid the flow of traffic turning left.

 

My thoughts exactly, Muddy. Although, it would have to take an incline as it sweeps left onto Myrtle Rd. Is the land not owned by Keyline? IMO improvements need to be made "southside" as I forsee more road chaos in future which would have the ability to impede future economic growth in the southern suburbs/business districts.