Any - Roadwork planning numpties

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Mon 17 Nov 2014 12:23
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - Snakey

I'm fairly convinced now that our roadworks are planned by m****s, or by people who actively enjoy creating problems.

The disgraceful mess of roadworks around the Western Bypass in Newcastle has rendered the A1 a commuting no-go zone - so the genuises have now reduced the A690 to a single lane contraflow putting any commuters from Durham into the situation of picking which set of traffic jams they would like to sit in.

And who starts roadworks at this time of year unless they're critical? Short days and poor weather (and early friday finishes) mean theres a much shorterned working week.

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Mon 17 Nov 2014 13:03
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - daveyjp

Don't blame the contractors, the blame can be firmly set at the doors of 10 Downing Street and HM Treasury.

What Government did when they came to power was just about halt all local authority spending on road improvements which weren't committed . Then about 2 years ago they launched a scheme to invest in road improvement schemes - great news you may think.

But what they also did was place a timescale on the money, so all the cash has to be spent within about 12 months of the scheme starting and certainly by the end of next year.

As it takes the best part of twelve months to design a scheme, get approvals, get all the other parties in line such as utilities etc and then months to complete we are in a situation where lots of roadworks are now happening at the same time

I am also suffering as a result - what is normally a 20-30 minute journey took 70 minutes on two occasions last week. As I can't change what is happening on the roadworks self help is the only remedy and I am trying to avoid the areas during busier times, especially the afternoon.

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Mon 17 Nov 2014 13:47
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - gordonbennet

Timed to improve the economy figures for an election then?

Which is rather odd spending massive amounts when we're trying to economise, take a better mind than mine to make any sense of it all.

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Mon 17 Nov 2014 14:26
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - bathtub tom

Don't bother using the A1 at the Black Cat roundabout in Bedfordshire (yes there's still roundabouts on the A1).

What was a junction for an A road, became the junction for a dual carriageway A1-M1 link road still using a roundabout. It was never going to cope. They're now attempting to improve the situation by adding an extra lane on the roundabout and the roadworks mean they've put traffic lights on it. They're going to be there for months.

To exacerbate the situation, they're also re-surfacing said link road and put a 40MPH limit on it!

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Mon 17 Nov 2014 14:41
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - daveyjp

All the approved schemes.

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attac...f

This is in addition to committed local schemes and DFT motorway/trunk road projects.

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Mon 17 Nov 2014 22:23
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - Sofa Spud

Round our way the council resurfaces roads that don't needed it while neglecting the ones that do need it. And if there's a frost, they don't grit the roads until the next night, even if it's much warmer!

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Mon 17 Nov 2014 22:47
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - Manatee

On Friday we returned from Cambridge to home near Aylesbury at about 8.50, expecting to be home just after 10.

We found the A1 southbound slip at Wyboston shut, and had literally no option but to take the A1 north for 2+ miles; we exited, and returned southbound hoping it was just the sliproad that had been closed, not so and we were obliged to turn north again - we then exited for the second time at the same place and zig-zagged across country onto the A6 to rejoin the A421 south of Bedford, arriving home about an hour later than expected.

No diversions were posted that we could see. I'm guessing that we arrived just as the road was closed and the signs weren't in place. I knew that there were some closures planned at some stage but had expected there would be some warning before the point of no return, and/or a signed diversion

I would have been glad to see the Black Cat roundabout that night.

Actually I've been through there a few times each way while the roadworks have been on, with no bother, but we avoid busy times.

I love the way that the self appointed VIPs ignore the 50/40 approach limits on the A421 and flash by, then fail to realise that both lanes can be used to turn onto the A1 north and queue for half a mile in lane 1 allowing me to trundle by in lane 2 and take the first exit ahead of them. I'll be sorry when it's sorted out, I bet it won't be as satisfying!

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Mon 17 Nov 2014 22:54
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - bathtub tom

>> both lanes can be used to turn onto the A1 north

Don't spoil it for us local yokels by letting on!

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Mon 17 Nov 2014 22:58
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - gordonbennet

MT, if that happens again, go back one roundabout on 428, then Little Barford, Tempsford to Great Barford, rejoin A421 at first Bedford turn.

Just for our little band here, don't tell 'em Pike, you can miss the massive Northbound queues on the A1 on Friday afternoons for Black Cat roundabout by slipping off at Tempsford, crossing over A1 and up through Little Barford.

You should try these closures when you're over 7.5t and high, all unannanounced.

As an aside , why in this age of technological wonder (at how useless most of it is) are the radio traffic announcements missing on a night or weekend.

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Tue 18 Nov 2014 08:24
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - FP

The alternative GB recommends is a good 'un and really useful, as not many people seem aware of it. The good people on here might appreciate some more detailed instructions, so here goes:

If there's a queue on the A1 northbound, leave at the Tempsford slip (co-ordinates 52.156031, -0.301824); immediately turn right; right again at the first roundabout; across the A1, then left at the first roundabout.

You now run north on a minor road, parallel to the east side of the A1, and have the satisfaction seeing on your left all the queuing traffic you are getting ahead of. After a while your road diverges from the A1 and veers slightly east. Go straight on at a small roundabout and then left at the next roundabout shortly after, near a big Tesco. You are now on the A428 heading west. Follow the signs back on to the A1 north, which you re-join well above the Black Cat roundabout.

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Tue 18 Nov 2014 07:54
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - RT
And who starts roadworks at this time of year unless they're critical? Short days and poor weather (and early friday finishes) mean theres a much shorterned working week.

ALL the Highway Authorities that REDUCE congestion by not doing roadworks in peak summer periods! You can't have it both ways.

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Tue 18 Nov 2014 12:55
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - Snakey

I'm sure theres a concious effert to combine roadworks to maximise congestion!

After all, just think of all that expensively taxed fuel you're burning sitting a 4 mile queue.

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Tue 18 Nov 2014 20:26
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - dan86

I'm sure theres a concious effert to combine roadworks to maximise congestion!

After all, just think of all that expensively taxed fuel you're burning sitting a 4 mile queue.

That really wouldn't surprise me. The other day it seems all roads home were closed, there was road works on 3 of my 4 routs and on the fourth one there had been a nasty accident so there was nowhere to go but choose the jam you wanted to sit in. A 30 minute drive toke 3 times as long.

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Wed 19 Nov 2014 12:02
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - Snakey

Well it can't be accidental that the A1 Western Bypass is ruined, closely followed by the Tyne Bridge having roadworks.

So what happens? All the traffic heads toward the dump that is the tyne tunnel, which is now so poorly managed the queues are back to what they were 5 years ago before they opened the new tunnels!

There has been a dramatic change in traffic around here in the last 6 months, and I can't imagine its down to more cars on the road, more like terrible management of the roads/roadworks/etc. We normally see a bit of an increase in the winter and a definite drop in the school holidays. The holiday drop didn't happen this October half term I noticed but that links back to the a1 being impassable during rushhour.

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Thu 4 Dec 2014 12:48
Any - Roadwork planning numpties - Snakey

Hmm, they have now added 3 miles of contraflow on the northbound stretch approaching the chaos of the A1 Western Bypass.

Now I fully admit being a cynic but this contraflow seems only to be there to slow down the approaching traffic - it only moves the inside lane to the hard shoulder and the outside lane to the inside lane. This leaves about half of the outside lane 'coned off' and nothing at all on the opposite carriageway. There is no work is going on and there isn't actually any room for work to be done. The road studs/lane markings in place tend to suggest this is here for the long term as well.

I wonder if this is a new tactic - add some 'fake' roadworks to try and slow down the traffic before the major roadworks, in order to try and thin out the congestion?

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