This is really just a whinge, but I do wonder if it is something that others encounter. Many times now, I have noticed a bunch of new streets appearing, and my percentage covered therefore going down. I will usually leave it a few weeks or months before visiting, but even so, I often then arrive to find a construction site with no public access, and indeed often with no streets laid down. In many cases, when I return a year or two later, I find that the layout is quite different from what was originally on the map.
I know the solution — to go onto OSM and mark those streets as under construction — but it seems like a lot of wasted effort, and I cannot understand why people add those streets in the first place. As far as I can think, it can only be someone at the developers or the local authority, as there are no streets there, let alone street signs with names on. But i can’t think why anyone would think it helpful to make a map of how things might be at some point in the future rather than a map of how things are.
Rant over. I will calm down now. Having just attempted to get twenty new streets that don’t exist.
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I’ve had the same problem, it’s annoying having to make a detour to find nothing there. If I have a suspicion I try to check other sources before heading out. My city publishes aerial photography, and development plans are also made public (in practice the timing for completion is not always accurate).
If I head out and find a construction site I try to pre-run as much as possible. It’s always fun to strike the balance between streets, safety and potential security agents when confronted with a fence 
.
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Yeah, this seems really odd. I haven’t experienced this first-hand, but if I did I’d probably look to see who the editor is - check out their profile and past edits … maybe add a comment asking about the underlying logic.
If someone’s into adding new streets & takes it so far as to add in-construction areas, it definitely seems useful to educate them on proper construction tagging. Especially when thinking about OSM beyond our use of it - things like in-car navigation incorrectly yeeting people into construction zones.
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Almost every time it has happened to me, it has been in one particular district, out of ten that I am currently working on, so I suspect someone who works at the council, albeit not doing it in a professional capacity.
I found the same and some construction zones take years. Whether the road will reappear after in some cases is questionable. If it is closed for a long duration, I go into openstreetmap and edit the street, marking it as ‘Private’ and in the comments, put closed for construction. It will likely reappear when changed after it reopens and then I go back and run the street.
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You want highwag=construction combined with construction=residential (or whatever type of road it will be). See Construction - OpenStreetMap Wiki
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Excellent point. In many cases, I don’t know if the street will reappear as a street. It might only be driveway access.
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