1. The most simple way is to count just the ways with the highway tag that are at version 1

But …

This fails when we approach the fact that when you split a way, the longer segment will remain with the WAY id, and the smaller way will get a new ID, meaning that it will be version 1.

2. We can use the nodes of the ways

Using the nodes as a identifier, because even if the way is new, all of the nodes are still from the old way, meaning that the timestamp will be different, the user that created the node will be a different user then the user of the way.

3. But how can we find out this in OverPass ?

Until now, i have this overpass turbo (Go To Halifax, Canada) script that tries to do some filtering, meaning that it will give just the ways that are version 1, and will filter ways that have more then 3 tags. (Because when we add roads, we add a maximum of 3 tags, name, highway type and oneway) If i split a way that have 6 tags, even if it will be version 1, it will be excluded because it have more then 3 tags.

But there should be a better method. And here we still get some ways that are splitted but have less then 3 tags. And in residential areas you get a lot of false positive.

Any ideas how to refine or other technique that i could use to achive the task of getting just the new roads ?

And don’t tell me use the full planet history, because there is no such think as a full planet history file that you can use, compile, run. Nope, it`s a legend.