A50 lay-by

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Wed 5 Jul 2006 08:38
A50 lay-by - machika
There is a lay-by on the south bound carriageway of the A50, just before JNCT24 of the MI, which was constructed over a long period last year, resulting in long delays, and I am trying to work out the reason for it being there, simply because it is closed off with barriers. I have never seen it used for anything at all and I pass that way quite a lot. Anyone know the reason for its existence?
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Wed 5 Jul 2006 08:47
A50 lay-by - Duchess
Since J24A was built there's been a regular problem with travellers moving into the land on that triangle between the A50 and the two M1 junctions, also using the slightly smaller layby that used to be there. The only laybys I've seen that look like this currently does are the one used by VOSA and/or the police for pulling over HGVs etc for roadside checks.

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Sat 15 Jul 2006 19:30
A50 lay-by - machika
If I recall correctly, there was a lay-by there before, as there very often is just before motorway junctions (and usually just past the island going the other way, as there is on the A50 west bound now). Therefore it is difficult to understand why the original lay-by should be replaced by something like the one that is there now. It must have been an expensive item too, given the length of time the construction took.
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Sun 16 Jul 2006 21:17
A50 lay-by - Simon
You are quite correct in that there did used to be a lay-by there before. It was quite a decent length one and used to have a snack van in it. If I recall correctly it was also notorious at night time for truckers having their lorry curtains slashed and bits of their loads nicked.

As to why they have made it into a shorter, concreted, gated lay-by I don't know the answer. It looks a little too small and narrow to be a VOSA checkpoint, ie it is only one vehicle widths wide and has no other facility such as a cabin or weighbridge etc. My best guess is that it could be used as a holding bay for abnormal loads etc.
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Mon 17 Jul 2006 08:51
A50 lay-by - machika
Whatever it is for, I have never seen it used. Seems like a waste of money to me.
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