Alignment of Wightman and Hornsey Park Roads

The question of exactly when Wightman and Hornsey Park Road were aligned has been asked a few times. I've been able to give a rough answer, but this snippet I stumbled across earlier in the year whilst looking for something else, helps pin it down.

And another from 'Road and Road Constuction, 1972

....and once you start searching...Hansard from April 1972 lists the following scheme as having been added to added to the 'forward programme during the six months ended 31st March' (I assume that's March, 1973):

The 1:10000 Ordnance Survey map surveyed in 1973 appears to show the works just starting. The dotted line along the road edge of the north west corner, I assume denotes an undefined road line, denoting the works. This resulted from the demolition of 139 Turnpike Lane, the former Grand Picture Palace, latterly CSM Motor Bodies, (shown on the first map snippet here). So it looks almost certain that the works started on 1973 and I assume finished in 1974.

To keep everything on the alignment in a single place, it's worth looking at these two side-by-side aerial photos of the junction (1930 vs 2018).

I've also reproduced below some excellent information added by Stephen Hartley back in 2016, showing why this happened.

"The remodelling had always been part of the Haringey Central Area Scheme from the 1960s to the 1980s.

"Taken from this 1981 booklet - which also includes Shopping City Planning:

"If the Eastern High Road By-pass had been constructed as planned .. traffic along Wightman would have been considerably reduced as more traffic would have used Green Lanes. The High Road would have reserved for pedestrians and buses - A North London version of Oxford Street, which with hindsight, probably wouldn't have been a good idea.

"The A105 diversion or Eastern By-Pass was intended to to be the main North-South route. The Western routeing was only ever intended as a secondary route. The Wood Green one-way gyratory system would have ensured that most traffic would have taken the Eastern routing.

"A close up of the Turnpike Lane Station area after the new road had been opened.

The vision for the Wood Green pedestrian area by the end of the 1980s.

"I'm not sure when the decision was made to scrap the plan.

"Wood Green was named as one of the London regional centres in a 1960's Plan, along with Sutton, Croydon, Bromley, Romford, Harrow, Ealing, Kingston. Some of these did actually complete their plans and built ring roads around their centres.. i.e. Romford, Sutton

"Wood green's scheme was planned to be completed by 1985, with slippage, I guess 1990.

"It must be remembered that these were the early years of Thatcher's governments with their opposition to local government powers and spending. Haringey as an opposition led council, wasn't that popular with those governments, so I imagine funding dried up at some point."