Thanks for the information, chaps. Much appreciated. Think I will do a dummy run and see if you can in fact get through.... I think a Corsa and an MR2 for my partner and I respectively don't class as heavy or large vehicles!!
I remember the A51 being shut, I got the 84 bus from Chester to Nantwich after a post-work ale-up and didn't have a clue where I was until we popped out near Tarporley!
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>A51 from Tarvin to Tarporley was closed for months ..
and before that it was several miles of the A49.
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Quick update on this, first day of the A41 being shut at Broxton.... the sign says "A41 pass holders only... please do not enter without permission from a marshal". A marshal!!?!! I have never seen roadworks in Britain actually being worked on, let alone there being a marshal to check valid passes! : ) But my girlfriend, not being of my temperament, hasn't got the gall to try just driving in there to try my theory out, so will have to go up the A534 and along the A49, wasting her time and petrol for 3 weeks. I have suggested that she apply for a carefully worked out road tax rebate, but she just tells me to be quiet. Oh, and there are now huge roadworks on the A54 not 15 miles from the A41 roadworks, so Chester is effectively a traffic jam. Cheshire Council, a bit like their police "force", are utterly, well not useless, but kind of resigned to the fact that they (like a lot of Britain) are a bit rubbish really. It's like they've just given up caring about cause and effect and just say "we don't make the rules, don't shoot the messenger, sorry everyone". I still don't get why they can't do it in stages with lights, like every other council in Britain, and as you will see from the earlier link to the website, it doesn't answer any questions, just basically says "we will put more info on when appropriate" ie please can people stop asking awkward questions and leave us to bean count!!!!
Before the "we love rules, authority is great and your tax goes to all the right places honestly" brigade cut in, I will admit that a lot of this is just a rant as I am annoyed that one of my fave and most useful roads is cut off, and also (more altruistically) annoyed on my girlfriend's behalf too!!
Oh, just one more thing... having seen the lunatic truck brigade out in force tonight on the diversion on the A49/A534, I predict at least one crash in the month or so that these works will take...
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Cheshire Council a bit like their police "force" are utterly well not useless but kind of resigned to the fact that they (like a lot of Britain) are a bit rubbish really.
In that case you'll be pleased to know that they (Cheshire CC, not the Police) will cease to exist at the end of March.
The current rash of roadworks is as a result of finding they had some money left which needs to be spent.
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and before that it was several miles of the A49.
>And before that it was several sections of the A556 Northwich by-pass. Nearly ended up in Middlewich one day trying to get back to Manchester. The advance signing was terrible !.
Ted>
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It does make you wonder what goes on, or rather doesn't go on, in these people's heads doesn't it? I saw those works too, and there was no need for it all to be up at the same time. A lot of it was just coned-off areas, huge stretches of them with nobody working on it, and a small area being worked on by two blokes with a digger.
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Stevied
I was planning on going to frodsham on Sunday and usually go A41 to Chester then up M56 - Never go A49 because of Beeston market but do you think A49 will be OK?? - if not what about Whitchurch-Malpas - Tilston -Farndon and come in back of Sainsbury's at Chester? or can you get to Broxton roundabout when you hit A534 from Tilston
1400Ted
Just being nosy about your username does it stem from something you own made in New Haven USA? if so we have something in common.
Doing a preview it seems swear filter doesn't like the town at Junc 12 on M56 ending with sham and starting with a F
{now corrected. Reason being some clown used to think it was funny to keep referring to Ford as Frod}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 16/02/2009 at 10:20
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> Never go A49 because of Beeston market but do you think A49 will be OK??
I have driven the A49 for 40 years and have never found it congested. There are parts where overtaking is difficult, but generally the truck traffic is not too bad. I did Whitchurch to frodsham yesterday (Sunday) and when all the diverted Chester stuff had left, it was almost quiet. [ the A41 from M54 to Whitchurch was almost empty ]
** not corrected permanently ..? {that's because the word 'frod' is still in place in the filter (in case the person with the red nose is still about) and only us mods can override words caught by the filter - DD}.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 16/02/2009 at 12:39
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I think the Whitchurch to Malpas route should work.... not sure about Tilston-Farndon though, a lot of the alternative roads are also closed off. Someone put a very good link to the council website up earlier in this thread, if you go into it, you can see exactly what roads are shut.
You're right about Beeston Market, it can be a nightmare!
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I am due to play golf at Carden Park tomorrow which will involve me driving to the Broxton roundabout on the A41 from Chester. Can anybody give me an update on what effect the closure of the A41 south of the roundabout is having on local traffic conditions? I would normally be in the area at about 11.30am. Would it be advisable to leave more time than usual or is the diversion working satisfactorily?
Thanks in advance.
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I have sent the attached to the Principal Engineer at Cheshire County council, after an article in last week's Chester Chronicle where he was portrayed as having arrogantly told a fireman on his way to work that he would have to go on a huge diversion...
"Dear Mr. Anderton,
I write to you after reading the Chester Chronicle articles about
roadworks a couple of weeks ago, and also having direct experience of
some of the restrictions in place at the moment.
Firstly, let me say that I take any press articles with more a
lorryload of salt than a pinch... however, with that in mind I would
like to ask the following:
With the aforementioned reservations, I was horrified to read about
the fireman who was unable to get to work and seemingly received little
assistance from yourself. Surely someone must have thought of a
contingency plan for such events? Are we to take it that, if someone
had been injured or worse in a fire or accident and that the delay to a
member of firefighting staff getting to the scene was a contributory
factor, you would accept some liability? Your imposition of these rules
so unbendingly would suggest so, and that scares me a little. I take it
that after the rather pompous declaration to the paper from a female
council representative that the situation would be reviewed and the
road may be closed again, our fireman friend now has a means of getting
through if the restriction is put back into force? How would you or
your colleagues feel if such a situation affected them? And how does an
ambulance get down a blocked road to attend an emergency, to raise a
rather different but relevant, scenario? If I live down one of these
blocked roads, do I just accept that I need to be hardier and not have
my coronary till after the works are finished?
The business aspect also bothers me, although less, obviously. But it
does seem that these draconian works do rather impose an unfair
restriction on enterprise at an already-difficult time. Could these
works not be staggered, thus affecting less routes at once? I DO, and I
genuinely do appreciate the "rat-run" argument.... but there are so
many roads affected it seems a bit daft, to be honest. It seems that in
recent times, a decision has been made that it is OK to completely shut
major arteries: the A51 last year, for example and now the A41 (and I
believe part of the A54). Would it be not less disruptive to have good
old-fashioned traffic lights? I appreciate you are a principal engineer
(or principle according to the Chronicle!) and I am not, but please
explain to me!
Speaking of the A54, again I ask, why do all the works have to be done together?
Some of my more cynical friends maintain that it is the end of the
financial year and blah blah you know the rest. I do not necessarily
agree: I hope I am not naive in that.
Lastly but not leastly, why is it that originally the signs outlining
the A41 works said "Feb 15th-Mar 22" originally and then AS SOON AS THE
WORKS STARTED it changed immediately to "April"? Now I AM cynical about
that.
I trust that you will consider my comments and help me understand
these works. I merely seek answers, and as a council worker and
therefore public servant, I hope you will assist me.
I look forward to your reply."
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