Out of Interest

[Kowalski]

What you don't realise is that is is on the main road between two of our capital cities.

Until now it was a poorly maintained and poor quality two lane dual carriageway.

Further north it's still single carriageway.

But it's nice that our roads are now coming up 20th century standards.

If you're travelling from London to Edinburgh (at least if I am) you would probably go up the M1, then along the A1-M1 link road, i.e. you'll miss out this wonderful piece of engineering. Further south the A1 is still a "poorly maintained and poor quality two lane dual carriageway" at best (and not that good at worst) but at least you can take the M1 instead. Further north there isn't the same choice.

Personally I think they should continue this standard of road forward until they hit Edinburgh! The economy of the north east isn't helped at all by not having motorway quality roads through, into and out of the area.

[Homer]

If you're travelling from London to Edinburgh (at least if I am) you would probably go up the M1, then along the A1-M1 link road, i.e. you'll miss out this wonderful piece of engineering. Further south the A1 is still a "poorly maintained and poor quality two lane dual carriageway" at best (and not that good at worst) but at least you can take the M1 instead. Further north there isn't the same choice.

You'd be better taking the M18 across to the A1(M) and missing out the terrible section of the M1 at Sheffield.

[Kowalski]

You'd be better taking the M18 across to the A1(M) and missing out the terrible section of the M1 at Sheffield.

You're probably right about that, I think that route is shorter too. I remember driving from Nottingham to Newcastle one Friday night, rush hour heavy traffic all the way but when I went down the M18 I wasn't being held up by the traffic any more. That was a while ago now

[mezuk04]

Dont you just love this wee community going on around here, sharing our knowledge or lack of it with some

[mipster]

I drive from Garforth to Howden so I cross from A1 south to M62 east and back every day.

I've been wondering what those 3 piles of gravel were doing, pointless.

It's a very impressive feat of engineering but I would love to know why the stretch of tarmac up to micklefield was laid twice, did it refuse to bind?

I would have much prefered a proper way to get from M1 j41 to the A! southbound. What's been gained in avoiding the ferrybridge roundabout has been lost in the extra distance to get to the A1 in the first place.

I've a mate who ;ives in fairburn and house used to look out at the A1 so he's overjoyed.

nice work.

mipster

[mezuk04]

There was a failure in the sub base which allowed depressions to occur therefore it was ripped up, recycled, and then re-laid.

However im not aware of whos fault it was, it was certainly not mine as my bottle of jamesons was indeed empty!!!!

[bxbodger]

But it's nice that our roads are now coming up 20th century standards.

At least you lot up north have made it as far as the twentieth century!!!!

Yesterday afternoon there was an incident, not traffic related, which resulted in part of the A13 being closed........I work at least 8 miles from where it was yet, sure enough, by 5:30 the whole of East London was jammed up......grrrrr......it took me 30 minutes to get the mile and a half to the start of the M11, and the queue southbound on there was heading back to J5, I felt sorry for that lot!!!!

And its not the first time....the slightest incident or accident causes massive congestion, there's absolutely no spare capacity, and no apparent attempt to manage the backed up traffic either- even one copper or warden making people zip merge would be a help, but no.........

We basically have a horse and cart road system, but with no room for an extra cart or any extra capacity or contingency plan for when the horse falls over...gggrrrr....end of rage........

[Kowalski]

Its worse than there being no spare capacity, there is actually not enough capacity.

The transport minister has announced some fairly big spending just recently, not to build more road capacity by to "make better use of what we have" by putting traffic lights on sliproads JOINING motorways. Sounds just like moving the queues from the motorway to the sliproads to me.

Car ownership is getting to the point where almost everybody who wants one has one, so the addage that building more roads will create more traffic doesn't hold true. Roads are so bad now that people can't make the journeys that they need to but the greens don't like roads being built so we're having no more.

Congestion isn't confined to the south of the country, I sit in queues most nights on my way home, I miss the worst by going home at 6 but I still get traffic.

[mezuk04]

Yes, I read yesterday the latest information from the HA regarding the installation of traffic lights on slip roads, basically its a case of moving the jam somewhere else.

[jeremy]

The point is that for the last 8 years we are supposed to have benefited from an 'Integrated transoprt policy' - whatever that means.

How many journeys are wasted? How many people could work at home or in satellite offices if better use was made of electronic communications, how many journeys are wasted in the name of 'centralised distribution?'

To give an example I was made redundant by a large cake making company at Christmas - no problems there - it was time I moved on anyway. They manufactured in Hampshire, Staffordshire, Yorkshire and lancashire and everything they made was taken to Warwickshire to a distribution centre.

Principally they had about 5 customers (large supermarkets) who must have been taking whole loads of the same products - so why were'nt trailers sent straight to the customers - rather than being unloaded in Warwickshire and reloaded into the Supermarket's own trailers.

What is needed is some education and a few examples. If some money were given to academics to make a few studies and advise a few companies for free in the hope that some would grasp the ideas with luck the idea would catch on and for example this depot which employs more people than some of the factories could be closed and the number of journeys made by this company would probably be halved.

[bxbodger]

An integrated transport policy isn't rocket science- you park at a station, and get on the train or coach or bus to be speedily and comfortably wafted to your destination.

Except.............they charge you lots of money for the privilage of parking at a station, then lots more money to get on the transport, which is filthy and may or may not turn up at the stated time, and you then have to stand.........

Chingford railway station, the end of the line, was a popular place for people from Essex to drive to and then get a train the rest of the way into London, and it was about the only sizeable car park anywhere on the line.

Popular because there was a huge free car park 5 minutes walk away-guess what, the car park has now been closed!!!

I presume the people who used it are now adding to the congestion, as are the ones who used to park near Highams Park vstation further on- its now become a pay'n'display road, but there's no shops, no houses, no need for anyone to park there so now nobody parks there!!!!

[wilkobob]

RMS (Road Management Services) shall be maintaining the road for the next 30 years and regarding the question, the Interchange was designed also in mind regarding the traffic increase every year and if they are maintaining for 30 years they dont want something that will become unmanagable 10 years down the line.

Also note that the columns of the new bridges are flared at the top to con-incide with the cooling towers of the power station

And if you have seen those very large piles of gravel (3 in a group) note that this is architecture, a competition was done at the local school/s to produce a design to mark the new job....and yes thats right 3 big piles of gravel were chosen.

It is was won under the impression (of many) that it wouldnt attract vandals and people driving past at speed staring at the new 'monument' and then hitting something in front...like what happened with the Angel of the North.

Also this isnt an A1 upgrade, this is a new Motorway which people seem to forget and not a trunk road as before.

No instead people like me that need a bit for the new driveway might just stop off with a trailer and some shovels... I must admit, the piles of gravel are just a little out of place... Would look much better as a driveway...

[mezuk04]

Always hi-jacking my threads Wilkobob, I think if you have time to post on a Citroen forum but dont own a Citroen, seems to me you have time to spare and a secret love still for Citroens, and what better way to deepen that love by changing some rear spheres and an accumulator sphere

[wilkobob]

Hah hah hah haaaaa The only reason I drive a ford is cuz it was cheap at the time. (we wont go into reasons why my lovely zx is no longer with me). Besides... ive already asked you when we are doing the spherey globey things (i know they are spheres really, but calling them globes winds the hell out of chris)....

[fastandfurryous]

Yes, I read yesterday the latest information from the HA regarding the installation of traffic lights on slip roads, basically its a case of moving the jam somewhere else.

These were tried all over the M27. Not only did they mean that you couldn't gain speed on the sliproad ready to joint the motorway, but they also caused loads of accidents where people where trying to judge their speed to get through on green and failed, and had absolutely no effect on the traffic congestion on the road.

And guess what... they're all gone now.