Building of M62 and creation of Scammonden Dam

[@MrDodgedollar]

I met Geoff Hunter; who sadly past a few years ago.. He was a neighbour and I had newly moved in a few doors away; I had no Idea who he was. I also worked closely with a veteran Shuttering Joiner who worked for Sir Alfred McAlpine on the Scammerdon Bridge- He assured me that the job was very high quality; He is absolutely right as it seems to never need much in the way of repairs..Amazing People!

[@BrotherTruckerUK]

Being a 34 year old lorry driver in the north west of England, I know the M62 like the back of my hand and use this motorway daily and have never known a time where the M62 doesn’t exist. Watching this documentary was insightful and inspiring. It shows what a massive feat of engineering the construction of England’s highest motorway really is. Truly amazing. Thank you to those who contributed. “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”

[@JerryAttrick78]

Thanks for your comments. I do hope that surviving contributors to the film, and their relatives, see, or have seen, it.

[@bobbyshafto3259]

What a wonderful piece of nostalgia. Bearing in mind I live within ear-shot of the M62 (when the wind is in the right direction) it's very relevant to me. I've walked under the motorway where Mrs.Wild's farm is,many times.....just LOVE the area.

[@mervynsands3501]

A Brilliant piece of civil engineering, a credit to all who took part, and surmounted the tough challenges that lay before them. A Magnificent job well done.

[@akhan7562]

Great British engineering. Best in the world. Great documentary, thanks for uploading. Every time I drive to Leeds from Manchester I think how it was just moorland

[@soundseeker63]

I've had a few white-knuckle drives over the top section of the M62. The cross winds can be pretty terrifying! There are frequent accidents, lorries being blown over, vehicles aquaplane in heavy rain, snow and ice, thick fog etc. I can only imagine how hard it must have been to try and build the thing in such awful weather conditions! 'Tis a bleak and barron landscape up there.

[@lxdimension]

Never forget the day I first drove on this spectacular road to Manchester for the first time 20 years ago! I was in awe! Respect to the people that have allowed me to drive to so many places so fast for so long!

[@davidandrew7314]

You were only 40 years late to the party.

[@weaville]

Not sure which of the Scammonden wardens you are - but thanks for this. We live here (Hudds side) and I love the comments about the weather - nothing changes!!

[@terencehennegan1439]

What a mammoth job that must have been, a phenomenal piece of engineering. The lady in the house was so funny, she took it on the chin with humour in her heart.

[@Bokoyo]

Just amazing work...can't imagine the hardships in that time. Thank you.

[@davidstubley4957]

I remember it opening and being amazed by the bridges and the dams. Brilliant.

[@daman4802]

Was an honour to work with a great guy called Ned Galvin many years after he finished that job for Mac's.

[@cullercoatswebsite]

This dam was designed by my late uncle Peter B Mitchell, a brilliant civil engineer who designed dams all over the world.

[@jpw1490]

If there is a single cloud or slightly light drizzle today work would be stopped for 3 weeks them were the days when people got on with the job great video

[@TerminalMadness1]

Cracking video. Thanks for the upload !!!!

[@PA3456]

If only we could build like that today

[@SandraCarrkentsfarmcottages]

Brilliant. My cousin is the young lad getting his cuppa at 7 mins - 5 secs.

[@spencerstewart8]

Cool ..... I lived up at Dean Head early 70's

[@austincaulfield5397]

I had tipper vehicles based on this job running stone from Macalpine quarry in Edenfield up to the dam, what an amazing construction,it was all pure graft but the camaraderie was exceptional. It was a sad day when it was all completed. Austin Caulfield.

[@euan7310]

Is it now the Scout Moor Quarry

[@paulbelcher7059]

My Dad and his mate drove tippers there contracted to Mcalpine. He said when you first drove down into the bottom and tipped off the load looked tiny like a teaspoonful of dirt dropped in your back garden!

[@paulbelcher7059]

His name is Dennis Belcher and his mate was called Norman Bowden just in case there's a thousand to one chance that you might have heard of either of them. My old man's 94 now. Still a tough old sod :-)

[@CALVO36]

Austin i worked on a bypass or 2 few years ago now on 8 wheeler tippers ..a590..high Newton.....Heysham link Rd...a1 m widening..Dishforth/Leeming bar ....carlisle kingmoor area bypass ...like you say it was all the crack with the drivers etc wasn't it !!.. my big uncle JAMES Richardson worked on that section also 👏.think on the big machines and dozers...he lives at flockton has 4 many a Yr..he's also done opencast coal ect...down country was on many a rd job fair days I bet !! He's retired now last job was on q massive loading shovel at ferry bridge power stn .you maybe came across him austin? ..stay safe and well ...

[@austincaulfield5397]

Yes I agree,what an amazing piece of construction. I was young and daft then,but we grafted,start at 6.00am finish when the sun went down,I don’t know how the trucks stood up to all the pounding they got,but weekends was spent oiling and greasing,when that job finished I went on to Penrith bypass,that was easy,made good money,stayed in Shap village through the week,it’s all a different world now,no one has any time for his fellow man. Rush ,rush,no wonder there are so many accidents. 78 now just had my jab. Where is it all going to end. AC.

[@RICKD790]

It must be the job. I worked on the climbing lane at Milnrow 1988 for 6 months when I was 20 and that was enough to age me 15 years.

[@mohammadayub2760]

I think it's so amazing the amount of work done brilliant ❤️❤️❤️

[@prben2]

This road cuts through tough, harsh rugged hills above the old mill towns of West Yorkshire and Lancashire.

[@TheBadsanta18]

I lived in the house looking over the dam near to the windy bridge (suicide bridge) But we had to go down a steep road (still visible) either side of the motorway during the construction. In fact I drove the single deck bus to Dean Head up and down the very steep slip road. It was the only way to get past the motorway at the time.

[@hamsandwich7353]

That track on the left west bound ?

[@spencerstewart8]

Hi Martin i lived up there at Spring Grove (Dean Head) 1970 onwards. Loved it spectacular weather and hardly anyone around but plenty to do. Good Times

[@CosgroveNotts]

I've been on that road at the side of the bridge. It was very steep

[@TheBadsanta18]

The steep track on the westbound and accross the motorway and up the steep track at the eastbound side. In a Halifax corp. Single deck bus.​@hamsandwich7353

[@P1mpMyBr1de]

They're always digging up the M62🚜

[@bobtudbury8505]

well done all and marples

[@digitallifeline162]

They could not blast through the rock. Then they said "oh dam"!!!

[@Yourweakminds]

It does close for snow.

[@Oscarsadventures]

Hello! Would I be able to use this footage in a documentary I'm making as part of my College studies? I'll gladly accredit you. Thanks, Oscar

[@lxdimension]

I hope you just did it!!

[@andrewhaines3259]

I believe the route was chosen as the one that would be least problematic regarding weather etc, once it was operational. How wrong they were.....

[@METAL1ON]

On a plus side we got the Scammonden steps for torturing yourself running up them.

[@karimabdullah2925]

ascended them steps today. I was knackered !

[@melina001a]

@ludocrat It's just that some people just age faster than others

[@apennell3575]

in the days when the lads just got on with the job. Now speed limits on all the plant, reduced working hours ,Non of 8 till 8.

[@38Highbury]

the one the farmhouse in the middle overlooks? by Turnpike Inn? its not a proper walkway/bridge to anywhere, no road access, so no need for the expense of a bridge. I suppose they just made it accessible for pedestrians when they built it but they shut it off about 15 years ago as people kepy wanging stuff and themselves off.

[@CosgroveNotts]

French were at Ainley Top and machines did get buried .

[@DavidW-nx2zs]

Question: Why is it that, despite all the billions spent on new M-ways, the level of traffic continues to increase?

[@roblonsdale8927]

Because someone invented internal combustion

[@bouffon1]

I remember a brilliant sunny day turning into a dark thunderstorm inside of about 5 minutes. Some of the Irish lads that had just started that week got down on their knees and crossed themselves, bejasus. They were men. Saw them in the pub singing their heads off on a Sunday and down in the cut at 6am. It was mentioned that 24 hour work was going on. I know of one guy that started at 6am on a Monday, worked his 40 hours non stop and went home to Ireland to sign some documents. 'Did you see your family I asked?' 'I did. We ate supper and I told my brother to go outside as I wanted a fight'. They did and he got his wish. I won money at cards one time when it was raining and had to go outside in the pissing rain to fight for my money. Many stories involved, I believe there were over a thousand men working there, we planned a payroll truck robbery but obviously never went through with it.

[@jpw1490]

Some story but how much is true

[@elrjames7799]

An exemplary model: market distortion favouring contractor profit at taxpayer expense.

[@mikecantillon7809]

i was on hire to mcalpines from lumley plant stratford on avon

[@colemanno1]

would of been better if they interveiwed more stout paddys

[@apennell3575]

Salt of the earth.

[@xaiano794]

Funny that we rely so heavily on these impressive projects but everyone opposes the ones for our future. Seems all the older generation got their new projects, their houses, their facilities and just don't give a crap about the next generation.

[@transitcoffin]

this motorway is a pain always busy busy busy road works all over it its worst than m25

[@funkiecrunch5475]

Hahaha "Never closed to traffic" - wonder what the folks of Rishworth, Ripponden and Triangle would say to that... I know living along rochdale road - when the motorway is closed without even looking at a traffic report.. my whole bloody house shakes with the trucks rumbling past at 60mph

[@Spillage66]

28 years old? More like 68!

[@scottpeacock5492]

Britain wouldn't of built this motorway today if the nimbys and eviromentalies had their way. But Great engineering anyway.

[@deanbrown29]

And? Who wants to be in beautiful moorland and encroach on a 6 lane motorway polluting what used to be tranquil land. It'd be tunnelled so better for everyone.

[@Ingens_Scherz]

28? Pull the other one, it's got peat on it! Seriously, though, did people age faster in those days or just look more grown-up? Mind you, my dad (who's 70 this year) said he doesn't remember ever being a teenager. It didn't exist in the 1950s. You were in shorts and then suddenly you were a sort of junior grown-up and then, when you hit 18, you were just, well, a man. I, on the other hand, still behave like teenager. Should be ashamed of myself - and building motorways.

[@aidy6000]

I'm sat here 28 years old thinking the same thing!!!

[@MePeterNicholls]

Yes, so many reasons. But it mostly comes down to social and financial affluence, or lack of