A13 / East India Dock Tunnel

[Deleted]

I have a very random not strictly bus related question that someone might know the answer too.

I use the A13 a lot from Canning Town to Poplar / Blackwall Tunnel and trying to work out what the old layout was like before the upgrade works in the early 00s  (I only started driving in 2003)   

A few questions: 

Did they completely replace the iron bridge with a new much wider bridge?  when using the flyover this evening I notice its 3 lanes each way + the two slip roads on and off at Canning Town where as before it was a single flyover until 2003.

How did the A13 westbound get around the East India Dock Tunnel entrance?  did  the west bound lane go around the back of the tunnel as it does now?  I read elsewhere the tunnel was only westbound for many years was this because of the alignment of the entrance to the tunnel?  it always looks in a funny position even now.   I seem to recall the old A13 never had dedicated bus lanes because it wasn't as wide, I think that was partly why the 15 was cut back in the late 90s? as it used to be gridlock.

Thanks 







 

[John tuthill]

Apr 9, 2018 19:39:11 GMT @dannyb said:

I have a very random not strictly bus related question that someone might know the answer too.

I use the A13 a lot from Canning Town to Poplar / Blackwall Tunnel and trying to work out what the old layout was like before the upgrade works in the early 00s  (I only started driving in 2003)   

A few questions: 

Did they completely replace the iron bridge with a new much wider bridge?  when using the flyover this evening I notice its 3 lanes each way + the two slip roads on and off at Canning Town where as before it was a single flyover until 2003.

How did the A13 westbound get around the East India Dock Tunnel entrance?  did  the west bound lane go around the back of the tunnel as it does now?  I read elsewhere the tunnel was only westbound for many years was this because of the alignment of the entrance to the tunnel?  it always looks in a funny position even now.   I seem to recall the old A13 never had dedicated bus lanes because it wasn't as wide, I think that was partly why the 15 was cut back in the late 90s? as it used to be gridlock.

Thanks 

Check out the "Britain from above" web page. Lots of B&W photos of the 30's







 

[John tuthill]

Apr 9, 2018 19:49:28 GMT John tuthill said:

Apr 9, 2018 19:39:11 GMT @dannyb said:

I have a very random not strictly bus related question that someone might know the answer too.

I use the A13 a lot from Canning Town to Poplar / Blackwall Tunnel and trying to work out what the old layout was like before the upgrade works in the early 00s  (I only started driving in 2003)   

A few questions: 

Did they completely replace the iron bridge with a new much wider bridge?  when using the flyover this evening I notice its 3 lanes each way + the two slip roads on and off at Canning Town where as before it was a single flyover until 2003.

How did the A13 westbound get around the East India Dock Tunnel entrance?  did  the west bound lane go around the back of the tunnel as it does now?  I read elsewhere the tunnel was only westbound for many years was this because of the alignment of the entrance to the tunnel?  it always looks in a funny position even now.   I seem to recall the old A13 never had dedicated bus lanes because it wasn't as wide, I think that was partly why the 15 was cut back in the late 90s? as it used to be gridlock.

Thanks

Check out the "Britain from above" web page. Lots of B&W photos of the 30's







 

[/quote]

[snowman]

Apr 9, 2018 19:39:11 GMT @dannyb said:

I have a very random not strictly bus related question that someone might know the answer too.

I use the A13 a lot from Canning Town to Poplar / Blackwall Tunnel and trying to work out what the old layout was like before the upgrade works in the early 00s  (I only started driving in 2003)   

A few questions: 

Did they completely replace the iron bridge with a new much wider bridge?  when using the flyover this evening I notice its 3 lanes each way + the two slip roads on and off at Canning Town where as before it was a single flyover until 2003.

How did the A13 westbound get around the East India Dock Tunnel entrance?  did  the west bound lane go around the back of the tunnel as it does now?  I read elsewhere the tunnel was only westbound for many years was this because of the alignment of the entrance to the tunnel?  it always looks in a funny position even now.   I seem to recall the old A13 never had dedicated bus lanes because it wasn't as wide, I think that was partly why the 15 was cut back in the late 90s? as it used to be gridlock.

Thanks 



 

Do you mean after the tunnels from Canning Town to Blackwall, (the continuation of the Limehouse link road)

You are correct, for a few years only one tunnel was open, it was simply blocked with some concrete barriers in the road at Blackwall end, but the ramp wasn’t finished at Canning Town End. Traffic heading East had to use the A1020 Leamouth Road, then join A13 at the traffic lights.

The Westbound tunnel was accessed by a left slip road (the current loop that goes over the tunnel mouths didnt exist). About 15-20 years ago the A13 had a series of massive widenings, some small 2way flyovers were replaced by huge new underpasses. At Canning Town 2 new bridges over the river were built either side of old A13 (the ones with the bus lanes, so you are correct Road was narrower), and an extra flyover over the roundabout was built (giving extra 2 lanes). Lanrick Road was moved to allow space for A13 to be slewed, then the site of original A13 was dug out and connected to East India Dock tunnel.

I had family in Rainham so used the old A13 a fair bit, before it got widened, a huge new viaduct over the Ford site was built and the road now numbered A13 didn’t exist, (the new road runs from near Dagenham Asda to Chafford Hundred, crossing under old A13 at Wennington). the old road (now renumbered A1306) had plenty of junctions with traffic lights.

If you look on google earth satellite view, you can see small kinks in the road, because it was widened on different sides in places, depending on where there was space, used to be straighter.

[Deleted]

Apr 10, 2018 5:49:21 GMT snowman said:

Apr 9, 2018 19:39:11 GMT @dannyb said:

I have a very random not strictly bus related question that someone might know the answer too.

I use the A13 a lot from Canning Town to Poplar / Blackwall Tunnel and trying to work out what the old layout was like before the upgrade works in the early 00s  (I only started driving in 2003)   

A few questions: 

Did they completely replace the iron bridge with a new much wider bridge?  when using the flyover this evening I notice its 3 lanes each way + the two slip roads on and off at Canning Town where as before it was a single flyover until 2003.

How did the A13 westbound get around the East India Dock Tunnel entrance?  did  the west bound lane go around the back of the tunnel as it does now?  I read elsewhere the tunnel was only westbound for many years was this because of the alignment of the entrance to the tunnel?  it always looks in a funny position even now.   I seem to recall the old A13 never had dedicated bus lanes because it wasn't as wide, I think that was partly why the 15 was cut back in the late 90s? as it used to be gridlock.

Thanks 



 

Do you mean after the tunnels from Canning Town to Blackwall, (the continuation of the Limehouse link road)

You are correct, for a few years only one tunnel was open, it was simply blocked with some concrete barriers in the road at Blackwall end, but the ramp wasn’t finished at Canning Town End. Traffic heading East had to use the A1020 Leamouth Road, then join A13 at the traffic lights.

The Westbound tunnel was accessed by a left slip road (the current loop that goes over the tunnel mouths didnt exist). About 15-20 years ago the A13 had a series of massive widenings, some small 2way flyovers were replaced by huge new underpasses. At Canning Town 2 new bridges over the river were built either side of old A13 (the ones with the bus lanes, so you are correct Road was narrower), and an extra flyover over the roundabout was built (giving extra 2 lanes). Lanrick Road was moved to allow space for A13 to be slewed, then the site of original A13 was dug out and connected to East India Dock tunnel.

I had family in Rainham so used the old A13 a fair bit, before it got widened, a huge new viaduct over the Ford site was built and the road now numbered A13 didn’t exist, (the new road runs from near Dagenham Asda to Chafford Hundred, crossing under old A13 at Wennington). the old road (now renumbered A1306) had plenty of junctions with traffic lights.

If you look on google earth satellite view, you can see small kinks in the road, because it was widened on different sides in places, depending on where there was space, used to be straighter.

Thank you for the excellent reply  - It was bugging me as I couldn't remember the old layout but you confirmed it : )

[joefrombow]

www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=A13 this may help gives a bit of a history if you have a Google there's pictures about somewhere, I remember seeing them a while back but can't remember the site. I used to be a frequent passenger on the old Thamesway Citysaver coaches back in the 90's up and down the A13 to Lakeside £1 return to Poplar! The Roads changed a fair old bit since then .