Secrets of The Motorway - M621
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ม.ค. 2023
- #yorkshire #motorway #infrastructure
I'm in Leeds this week to look at the M621 motorway. Leeds would appear to have once been the "Motorway City" of the UK but (fortunately?) things didn't work out how they had in mind.
The short M621 motorway is a blend of failed projects and bodge jobs where the M1 saw an extension before being linked to the South West Urban Motorway. Learn all about the fascinating story in this weeks episode. We'll also address the secret tunnel found underneath the motorway... spoiler alert.. I dunno.
There's a world record holding railway to look at as well... older than some countries!
In this series we aim to explore what our motorway network is hiding. As we drive along at 70mph..ish...we simply just wouldn't be aware of what we're missing. This series aims to uncover some of the hidden secrets our motorways have to offer.
**Additional Footage by @MiddletonRailwayVideoShed**
Full video here - • The Middleton Railway ...
Many thanks indeed!!
Find us on:
Twitter - @JonShenanigans
Facebook - Auto Shenanigans
Many thanks to:
Middleton Railway - www.middletonrailway.org.uk/
Pathetic.org.uk
Roads.org.uk
Sabre-Roads.org.uk - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
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The tunnel at Beeston Interchange houses Gas and Electricity equipment.
This solution was considerably cheaper than diverting the services around the roundabout, but still provides access to them for maintenance. A corrugated metal arch is naturally very flexible, and the structure required careful supervision during backfilling operations. Settlement of the footings and deflections of the crown of the arch, both vertically and horizontally were monitored in order that the final profile should be as near circular as possible.
Did you work on the project Gav?
@@livesgas My uncle did
I was guessing that and hoping for sewage too so I could make a shit gag.
As soon as he asked the question I hoped someone in the comments happened to know the answer. Nice one
@@david103857 That would be really crap 🤣
I like the supermarket trolley just in shot in the shot where you're discussing how much the council loved motorways. It adds that certain touch of picturesqueness
even the abandoned bits of electric cable balanced up against the fence mind you this is what most cities were known for especially the flytip
@@jasinere35 The trolley is from Ikea just at the far end of the footbridge. Apart from that every so often there is little vandalism or tipping along these paths, cans and bottles are sometimes thrown down on the path or into the fields, to say it is a typical sight in any city is not true of here.
I had to tip toe around many discarded syringes.. lovely place.
@@AutoShenanigans I guess that's where the cable is by the fence as I have not seen syringes along the path I walk along where the Ikea trolley is. I will check if that's still there tomorrow (10 01 2023) when I go that way. A while ago there were a number of cider cans scattered about which have now been cleared up. I am not saying there is no drug use going on but overall it is a pleasant area.
LCC loves motorways so much the national government had to step in over the A64M
I'm surprised you didn't mention that for a very brief section (about 200 yards) between junctions 4 and 3 the westbound carriageway is funneled down into 1 lane, making it one of the very few single lane motorways in the country.
the southern end of M57 in Liverpool and western end of M55 in Blackpool are the same - in the case of the M55, it's also unusual in that it gains two lanes from the entry sliproad at the first junction, leaving you in the outside lane, and if you're driving wagon or towing on that section, you are technically breaking the law
And one of the most annoying! Though it looks like they're improving the road, wonder if they'll add another lane. (If they can even fit one in!)
the A329(M) has this going over the J10 of the M4. Its ridiculous
@@lefthandedspanner m55 drives me insane, the very end is effectively the A-road and people are joining from a 30/40 mph road whilst those from the motorway are pushing 80mph usually... death trap haha
M3 westbound under M25 is also single lane…frustratingly. Painful when drivers slam their brakes to slow down to 45MPH
Happy Sunday John
I love the way the M1 (the main road from north to south) becomes technically a slip road off itself whilst the main carriageway turns into the 621, which if you miss leads to a world of pain if your intention was to stay on the M1. Brilliant.
That happened to me today Joined the M1 North from the m62. Stopped paying attention for a minute or two and I then found mysef heading into Leeds on the M621 rather than heading north on the M1. Had to come off the 621 sharpish and cut across to get back on the M1. Probably cost five minutes.
This is also the case with the M25 southbound at J5 where if you stay on the main carriageway you'll end up on the outskirts of Sevenoaks. And you can't even turn around at the next junction...
I was born and raised in Morley and can remember when the M621 was being built and riding skateboards all the way down from Asquith Ave bridge to Elland Road with no traffic on it before it opened.
Ending on the Leeds United Calypso... You little legend! :-)
I could have given you a few more secrets on this one. I live local. Glad to see you ooop north though. Loving the channel.
Subscribed to both your channels your both great!
Hello there! I've enjoyed many of your videos but just realised I wasn't subscribed to you so that's now sorted. Thanks for watching mate.
Welcome to my local area John. Just to let you know, they are remodelling the whole section between junctions 1 and 6, including removing 2a, because it is a junction where someone thought it would be great idea, when it clearly wasn’t 😂
This series gives me the nostalgic feeling I used to get when sitting down to watch Scrapheap Challenge and Time Team, while visiting my grandma's for sunday dinner.
Two absolutely brilliant shows back in the day!
May I also suggest Robot Wars? All programmes I loved as a kid.
Up in our neck of the woods! The M621 is an absolute mess of cobbled together bits of motorway... Especially junction 3. It kind of makes sense watching the video. They are doing work on the M621 and I hope they fix a lot of the 'flow issues' (the one that irritates me the most is when three lanes squash to 1 at junction 3 coming from the M1). Great video as always!
The 3 to 1 section of the M621 is terrible! Luckily I only use to get to work in the early hours and drive straight through it(with that reduced 40MPH pain the backside) and get off at Elland Rd.
"kind of makes sense" was my thoughts too. I drove that "1 lane" section on the day.. very strange indeed. Thanks mate!
Yorkshire Television has the greatest indents in UK TV history. Excellent inclusion that could have only been bettered with the voiceover "This is Yorkshire Television broadcasting from the Emley Moor, Belmont and associated transmitters of the Independent Broadcasting Authority". Ok I'm off topic here. Belting episode as always, thanks John 😎👍
They're all pretty good and are proudly of their place: some shouty, some subtle.
Adam Martyn’s done little vids on each on this yer YT.
Equally as interesting guilty pleasures as the channel we're on here and now.
The voice of Redvers Kyle.
Sorry to be a traitor to my county, but I actually think the Westward Golden Hind Ident (not an indent!) accompanied by Paul Lewis's English Overture is the best.
@@TerryTheNewsGirl Good call. Just noted that my phone autocorrected ident lol...!!!
I'll raise you Anglia TV's 'silver statue of a knight on horseback' ident from 'back in da day'; go check it out. The run time alone would probably outlast many modern TV progs lol
4:52 is almost the exact view my grandparents had out of their window on the 9th floor of those flats. They both moved into a retirement home a few years ago and have both died now, so it's pretty nice (and unexpected) to see that junction from that angle again, thanks mate.
John - one or your slickest videos yet 😂 7 junctions in just over 7 minutes - a record? And love the 1971 envelope 3p to send a letter !
If you were to continue into Leeds, you would get onto one of those bits of urban motorway that Leeds was trying to build everywhere the A58(M) which is very unusual in that it actually has an exit slip on the right-hand side. It also has a rather alarming number of short, blind sliproads, but thankfully only a 40 limit.
"Massive windy mess of roads"
Oh, you're gonna love the M8 through Glasgow! ;)
I feel like I know the M8 well just because it's been in every traffic alert I've ever heard on the radio. I'm surprised they don't pronounce it 'mate' as in, "I wouldn't go on that road m8" and "Yeah it's f**ked innit m8". I hope he gets to it someday!
@@bobblebardsley Aside from roadworks, it works remarkably well a lot of the time.
I remember when the M1 stopped in Leeds and ending on the tight curve at Dewsbury Road junction. Yes that is an old viaduct needing a new line and purpose.
Junction 3 will always be J47 M1 to me - favourite Welcome to Leeds junction - always great for seeing how many lateral g's you can pull on the exit slip road
Same here, when I lived in Rothwell I used this junction every day to go to work. This was the very end of the M1 as it was in the 80s. Traffic was always free flowing, can’t imagine if it was like that now.
It’s a really good junction in a rear wheel drive car if you catch my drift
I studied at University of Leeds so have some personal interest after the fact. Looked at this motorway a couple of years ago when I saw West Yorks police camera footage of a truck pulling in on a Porsche Carrera in its left hand blind spot. This car has a very strong metal tub and the result was that the truck fell over on its side in an epic David vs Goliath style fail.
**ORIGINAL** Truck blind spot accident caught on police camera Motorway M621 (M62 Crash Leeds UK)
v=l_eiP8sk_KQ
And another motorway regularly used when working from our Leeds Offices in the early 2000’s… always full of roadworks/repairs but usually not too congested. Apart from going home, especially down to the M62 which I used when returning to my then girlfriend’s house (now my wife!) - at this time I lived in between Derby and Nottingham. Also used when commuting between my office in Aldershot to the sister office in Leeds (I lived in North West London then!)- early to mid 90’s. Jolly good show, took me down memory (overtaking) lane!
The story of the tunnel over the middleton railway is interesting , apparently a level crossing was first proposed by the MoT, however needing the clearence when it was realised the railway was in operation (being NCB and not BR as such the departmental consultation had missed it ) making the M1 needing elevation to gain the height needed. The tunnel sometimes used by fire departments as practice to evacuate crashed railway carriages in tunnels and similar.
A level crossing over a motorway would certainly be interesting! Not sure I believe one was ever seriously proposed, though.
Although I know of some motorway slip roads in Dublin that had a tram line crossing them on the level for a few years (they realised their error quite quickly, and built a viaduct for the trams soon enough). And an old coach driver once told me there is/was a motorway somewhere in Belgium with a level crossing, although I've never been able to verify that.
@@davidconnor2458 im pretty certain there is a large motorway in the Middle East somewhere where there are rail lines embedded into a section of road, almost blended into the tarmac and suddenly a train crosses.
Think there's video footage of a train crossing a motorway in China (although I think the line has now closed)
"I also assume it doesn't work". Love the humour mate!
As I used to live in Leeds all my life and Gildersome before moving to Cambridgeshire, the "hidden" tunnel under the M621 interchange is something all locals know about. It has been used for storage by the council before with temporary road signs, traffic cones etc, etc stored inside it a few times over the years.
True - but it's real purpose is for access to the gas and electricity mains supplies that run underneath it.
I lived in Garforth for fifteen years and never knew it existed. How do I get to it to take a look?
@@TerryTheNewsGirl Stop your car in the outside lane at junction 1 (either direction), dodge the traffic, ignore the horns and rude hand guestures, climb over a few fences and abseil. Or park near the roundabout and take a stroll. Safer.
@@stevekelly5166 or rewatch the video???? ::P
If you "used to live in Leeds all your life", are you now dead?
John this channel is so addictive and I don’t really know why?? - The subject matter is the most uninteresting claptrap of all time and the actual motorway scenes are even worse. However you present it all so well it’s one of my favourite channels! HNY buddy! 😊👍🙏
biggest surprise of the video, the track on that old viaducts not been nicked for scrap!
In fairness to the Tanfield Railway, that railway is older than Middleton , however Tanfield ran on privately held land , wherhas Middletons route required power over other landowners rights and rights of way, hence needing parliamentary approval , and thus was the first sanctioned under Parliamentary Approval (including the nax price coals could be sold for in Leeds centre for the first chaldrons delivered under the act) . The railway remained private to the Colliery (itself in the Brandling family ownership) and thus the Surrey Iron Railway was the first Public Railway sanctioned by Parliament (as in anyone could run a wagon on its metals. The act for Middleton Railway allowed for haulage/ propulsion by just about any means , which the system used including cable haulage and horse led but having the act meant steam locomotion could be applied without further requirements other than safety checks for such locomotives.
As a frequenter of the M621 in my uni days I always wondered (and still did to this day) why it dropped to a 50mph limit, well now I know!
that, and the fact the sharp bends on the main line make it like riding a rollercoster
I really enjoy this series.
It's weirdly addictive
I was finding the roads quite interesting but then you finished it on a shot of a disused viaduct and now I've got to go and research that!
The clip of the roundabout at 6:20 is a fcking nightmare. 3 lanes on the roundabout. Lanes 1 and 2 go into a 1 lane slip road onto the 621, and lane 3 splits into 2 lanes. A frequent crash hotspot, so much so they've attempted to fix it by removing some markings... Absolute clowns.
Hate the 621, but love the video. Cheers Jon.
Love your videos as always John keep doing the amazing work
John perhaps you could explore the M1 extension that drifts out of Leeds and joins up with the A1M. You even call in at the relatively new Skelton Lake services if you fancy it. There are a number of slip roads that lead off it for you to explore.
“… you know, usual Heritage Railway shit” 😂🤣😂 ❤️👊💥
Thanks John. I really enjoy watching your vids I look forward to them on a Sunday. You put in so much effort and the tongue in cheek British humour is very much appreciated. Goes to show with the right presentation and personality you could read the phone book. Cracking job.
Loads of great history nuggets in today's video, thanks Jon
The M621 is the highest numbered motorway in England (not Scotland)
J2a is getting closed and the council are asking drivers nicely not to use J3 as Neville Street (under Leeds railway station) was the most poluted road in the city and they were about to introduce a city wide CAZ before covid, then then some of the traffic went away for a bit so they cancelled it. That tunnel is now a bus lane and City Square is closed to all traffic, so now the largest junction on M621 is local access and a longer way to J4
I'm so happy to see my old stamping ground! I still use the M621 but, thankfully, not daily these days!
When Junction 3 was being built (or should that be rebuilt?) we would commute through it as the work was done while the traffic was running. The large pedestrian bridge and a construction crane were decorated with twinkly fairy lights for Christmas. Probably not completely legal, but it was something pretty to look at on a morning!
Yes, that's an old railway viaduct!
I drive under it regularly!
Great video, but "Heartbeat"? Nay, lad, that's North Yorkshire!
A Touch of Frost 👍🏻
Awesome series
My word, that Leeds United calypso is brutal. Even worse than that Marching on Together bollocks they recorded back in the 70s when they were good.
Awesome video as ever John 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Appreciate all the research you must put in to create these interesting videos 👍
Super interesting video again! Thanks John!
This channel has come along way in the last 12mth and it’s so good to see. Keep it coming John 👍🏻
Wonderful! As an occasional visitor to Elland Road, for charity fundraising events, have often wondered about their local road system, so your lucid explanation is most welcome, cheerz! 👏🏻
Nice bit of local history for me, thank you :)
Another brilliant video mate, very informative as always.
been waiting for this episode for so long, I live in Leeds and use this motorway all the time, I know it like the back of my hand!
Looks like you could cycle around all the junctions using the overpasses and underpasses and have a great northern day out! Thanks for the video John and hope you had a good time videoing the M666222111!
Classic TV references in abundance- thanks 👍
I’m glad your doing all the northern ones at the same time ❤
Been using the 621 as my commute from Rotherham to Leeds for the past 9 years, and it feels like its had roadworks on it for at least 50% of that time. Now I know why it's got a 50mph limit though, thanks. Good to see you making content in my neck of the woods too. 👍
Thanks as always 'My Name is John', great coverage, research, quick-fire stats, and humour. My Sunday is complete. Keep up the great work - just get's better and better...
Thanks again mate! Appreciate that.
Thanks for posting never thought I would get excited about interchanges, good style & narration helped 💪
One of the only motorways I've been along the whole length of in one go! Most of the others are over in Manchester, because Manchester and it's tiny motorways. Either way, I've always been a fan of how the M621 crams in as many "junctions" as it does, so this video is a great birthday present (it's tomorrow). Thanks Jon!
I could have done that but decided not to. I wish I did as I’ve never been on it. It was my first time on A1(M) and A627(M) as well.
Might be busy tomorrow, so let me say Happy Birthday now. 🍨
@@considerlizards Thank you! c:
@@CORNERofTECH A627(M) is one of the ones I've done, as well as A57(M), M61, M66, M67 and M602. Also the Liverpool side of the M62 if that counts.
Actually, thinking about it, I think I also did the M18...
@@circadianizzy There was some congestion on the M62 (E) and when I checked for alternate routes, M621 would have taken some minutes more because of the distance so I decided not to.
A few memories from some years back, The M621 was unique in that at one time it actually had a slip road exit from the right hand (Fast) lane. Another thing I remember is the M1 terminated at a partially built flyover where the road just stopped in midair, traffic was guided to the off sliproad by a line off cones. Often wondered if anybody had driven through the cones before realizing the road had dissappeared beneath them.
l enjoy listening about the motorway infrastructure around the country you find some real good gem's on your travels john keep em coming 🙂
Cheers mate appreciate that.
Loved the train cam, which then flew over the bridge ! Great vid as always. 👍
Your videos cram hell of a lot of research into a short time…brilliant.
Best video yet John. As living in Leeds all my life and driving this area for 45 years you have put plenty of research in, you answered a lot of things I didn’t know about. Hope you are doing a video on the inner ring road A58 (M) next, it’s basically a 2 lane motorway that cuts around and under the city centre. It has a 50 mph speed limit, very short slip roads, one that exit’s on the right and no hard shoulders.
A58M/A64M - LCC ran out of money I was told and the government had to step in. While digging the cutting at the University they came across a coal seam and decided to give the coal away to the elderly in Leeds. The NCB got wind of this plan and stopped it happening.
great video, really enjoy these Secrets of the motorway videos
Jon glad you explained how the 621 emanated from the 1 + 62 or was it the 62 + 1? 🤯 But it all LEEDS us to the same places. 😖🤔 Have a great week.
Surely in the spirit of Yorkshire Television it should have been the M321?
@@ianhalsall-fox Your Prize is Rubbish.
to be honest, it's probably a coincidence
in the very early stages of planning it was known as A62(M), as it runs parallel to and bypasses the A62; M621 was most likely the easiest way of preserving the '62' element
(it was also known as M65, before the Ministry allowed the use of 3-digit motorway numbers)
Great video, Happy Sunday!
Gday John, every episode just reminds me how much of a clusterfuck the UK road system is. It’s amazing it functions at all. Keep up the good work mate.
happy new year to looking forward to your videos in 2023 love the content
Love your videos mate
Wow. Didn't expect you to come over to my neck of the woods. Very interesting information. Was fun to learn they managed to wangle around regulations and the lot. Sounds like Leeds City Council in a nutshell that.
When the M1 was changed to link to the A1, it wasn't quite complete in mid '98. The section of the new M1 past Temple Newsam was used as a car park for V98 - the M25 may be joked to be a car park but part of the M1 was _actually_ used as a car park.
Leeds...Leeds...Leeds....Whiiiite Rose! (Sorry, couldn't resist). Excellent video and very interesting - thanks very much!
Great video John 👌
The infamous / famous report "Traffic in Towns" a.ka. the Buchanan report (1963) has plans of the M1 ploughing through central Leeds, and out towards Headingley, presumably to join up with the A1 North of Leeds somewhere.
The idea was for an integrated train station with car parking either side of the M1, which would be going up Park Row - which would no longer exist.
I got Heartbeat and A Touch of Frost theme tunes in there. Each from the 1990s with a bit of nostalgic content.
Fascinating! I've used it for so many years and never knew any of its histories.
Ooo, I used to use the M621 a great deal and never knew it was the monster stitching of two projects (but it does explain a few things). Middleton Railway was a late discovery for me, but the children loved it.
I'm a new subscriber, great info on the M621, and great use of the disused Domestic Road Viaduct, short cut to Leeds Station from the magnificent but long extinct Leeds New Line Railway. Great music from at least x2 classic Yorks telly programmes. Best wishes. Ben
Loved seeing the drone shots of my home motorway!
Love the video, especially the final song and being a kinda local it's nice to see your up north. Marthcing on together!!!! By the way, we play Cardiff city at 1400h today 😇
Awesome video
Thank John an amusing description of the M roads
Loved this vlog with all the inserts. (yorkshire advert) and others. You certainly get about. Heritage railways do well in summers and Christmas times. They are public funded. Not every body is into them. No need for calling them. Well worth visiting
Thanks, these videos make my Sunday complete
Thanks mate, appreciate that. Thanks for watching :)
Living the Leeds United Calypso, catchy tune
very interesting as I'm local to the area and not aware of where the m1 terminated due to being to young to know when the changes to place but it makes sense why you have to change lanes to get on to the M1 when your already on the M1 at junction 43 north bound
Great video keep up the good work.
Another interesting video ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍👍👍👍
Another excellent video.
Amazing work Jon
Lovely stuff Jon, best regards 😁
Thanks mate appreciate that!
There are some road layout oddities in and around Cardiff if you’re ever down this way. Could be an interesting short piece. The A4232 has a gap between a built ramp for a flyover and at the other end a roundabout that looks like it was designed for the carriageway to continue down the middle of what’s there (sliproads). West of the city it’s using bits of railway line I believe and there is an abandoned tunnel nearby with ventilation shafts on show. Then the A48(M) section has an abandoned eastbound carriageway where it joins the M4 at junction 28, it has realigned the roads and led to several houses being demolished at the top of Penylan Road, uses old railway bridges for a bit then arrives at the Gabalfa interchange which has space for extra sliproads going out to Llantrisant.
The A48 route has some other quirks further west that I’m less familiar with but the A4232 and its odd links to various ditched projects (as well as the Rover Way section rounding an old airfield, Pengam Moors, which still has lookouts and hangars) would make a decent short episode I reckon.
yorkshie television ident that brings back memories
This is the best video I've ever seen about anything
Aye, Leeds United weren't formed until 1919. However, a team called Leeds City (the original Peacocks) played on the ground from 1904, until they were booted out of the league for financial irregularities (.mainly for paying players during the war years - which was banned).
This is where the United name on the reformed club comes from; although none of the City players ever played for United. They were all auctioned off to various clubs at the Leeds Metropol Hotel for a total sum of around £9,600.
Port Vale took their place in the league who, in 1968, were almost booted out of the league for financial irregularities.
My parents loved theatre
and we lived in Huddersfield
and there was the then Leeds Playhouse
which we went to a lot.
So the M621 in its earliest incarnation
as a route into Leeds
was a route I was driven along a lot.
I think the last time I drove on it
was when I took my mother to see
"Shakespeare in Love" at a multiplex in Leeds.
What a great channel with really interesting content, always worth a thumbs up, and a subscription with all notifications! Thank you, 👍👍👍👊✌️🌍.
Love you videos my Daughter Gilly loves the wave offs at the end we always have a rewind & way back to you several times 😍😍😍 bit sad but it floats our boat
Great to hear, sorry for the swears :D Unless your daughter is 34 or something.
Literally just watched your M606 vid hadn't really noticed the naughty words so must be few & far between
Thanks!
Ah ha, the weekly reminder its Work tomorrow 😂 top video as always!!
The abandoned Tesco trolley at 01:05 was a nice touch.
Was kind of surprised not to see the M606 included in this, as a bonus. It's only a few miles away and lasts all of 3 miles.
In 1999& 2000 I had a sunday job at the coachbuilders that was at the end of the 606, Jespro2000 (I say Sunday job, we were working on a personal project - a 40ft trailer turned into a self-contained Robot Wars arena - there with their permission, as long as we did any quick accident work that came in - replacement underrun bars mainly)
Even had a crash there once, same day I got a ticket leaving home on the M57 for doing 98 (I was the only car on it except for the cop hiding behind a bridge)
Cheer's John love these videos
Having driven on these roads round Leeds a fair bit. I can safely says it is an absolute mess. If you ever have the misfortune of driving in the city centre you can get lost for days. One way streets that take you away from where you want to go. And an inner ring road that by the time it was completed it was already not fit for purpose. Not to mention the largest city in Europe without a major mass transit system. I love Leeds don't get me wrong but driving there is hell on earth.