It dawned on me last night when I was in a diversion from the M6. What happens if you drive into services, then by the time you want to come out that stretch of the motorway has been shut for roadworks? Do they just have the entry road out of the services shut off as well so you physically can’t until it reopens?
DickyNick:
It dawned on me last night when I was in a diversion from the M6. What happens if you drive into services, then by the time you want to come out that stretch of the motorway has been shut for roadworks? Do they just have the entry road out of the services shut off as well so you physically can’t until it reopens?
I pulled into birch westbound about a year ago, 1 hour before they were closing the motorway. As I pulled in, there were yellow signs on the exit slip clearly stating the services would be closed to traffic entering the motorway at 10pm. So if you ignore these signs and get stuck til it reopens, you’ve only yourself to blame. But at least the costa won’t have queues.
Bit of a bugger if you actually work in the services and your shift finishes mid closure!
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, I do actually know before you all start chiming in).
Don’t most services have an exit onto a minor road?
I was forced to stay at Woodall one night due to time running out and woke up at 4am to find the M1 closed.
They just told me to use the exit onto the minor road and I rejoined the motorway further on up.
Will_161:
Don’t most services have an exit onto a minor road?I was forced to stay at Woodall one night due to time running out and woke up at 4am to find the M1 closed.
They just told me to use the exit onto the minor road and I rejoined the motorway further on up.
Yes they do.
I used to nip off the M6 at Corley services many years ago as I lived just up the road from there.
If I’d have taken exit 3 I’d still have to drive a further 4 miles to get home.
Will_161:
Don’t most services have an exit onto a minor road?
The Woolley Edge service…
Area slip road is known by the locals as Junction 39a. Sometimes there is a queue to get out onto the local b road. Every now and then plod shows up and hands a few tickets out then after a few days it goes back to queueing again.
Hartshead Moor has a road that takes you down into Brighouse,bit twisty though…
M6 Forton definitely has one. Used it many times before plod started being bitchy about it.
Similar thing to me. Watford Gap entry to the M1 gets closed on a regular basis but they don’t put up signs saying so. You drive up the service road towards the hotel and it leads you to a road which is just off the A5. Strangely there is only a yellow diversion sign with a symbol on it pointing up that road (except for the Hotel Only sign) and they don’t actually put any signs anywhere to direct traffic up there!
According to staff at Stafford South, there is no service road to the local roads from their services, and it’s one of two in the country like that (he wasn’t sure where the other one is). Said its a nightmare when there is a crash as one shift is stuck in traffic on their way in. Then when the current shift go home, they get stuck in it too.
I enjoy walking, so usually find the small roads leading from them. Most have an exit of some kind, but sometimes its in the car park (i.e Stafford North). Some of the roads you wouldn’t want to take a truck down either.
ezydriver:
But at least the costa won’t have queues.
True but it’ll likely be shut by 11 like everything else beyond the toilets in most services which is a pain.
As for service roads, most have them but police dont like you using them unless you’re delivering, work on site or are going to the hotel (excuse only works if its on the other side). Defo not often hgv friendly like the ones at Southwaite M6.
Yorkielad:
Hartshead Moor has a road that takes you down into Brighouse,bit twisty though…
Or to Cleckheaton on the other side. It is High Moor Lane on both sides but now cut in two by the motorway. Definitely a bit tight to get it of in a truck.
Leicester Forest definitely has one. I used to use it all the time when racing at Mallory Park. Saved a ■■■■ load of hassle.
Membury is fully accessible from both directions, on and off the motorway
The Police do try and stop everyone using it every so often but I think they feel like they are fighting a losing battle TBH
It’s not illegal, all they can do is turn you around and make you use the next exit
All the closures that I have dealt with, a traffic marshall, or similar, will ■■■■■■ trucks back to the closure. Apart from the rude driver, who was seen on cctv driving through the red x’s prior to the cones closing the road. He was told to wait all night but unfortunately after about 3 hours, he spotted me escorting trucks out via the service road. Karma is a great thing because as he used the service road, he met a police car and he refused to move so the Sgt, having already been made aware of this driver, nicked him for going under the red X’s.
Had he been polite in the first place instead of being an arse, he would have been on his way a lot sooner and without a ticket.
All services have some sort of other access road for emergency services,H&S bs normally means they have to be kept clear hence the reason for police not liking them being used by public.
xichrisxi:
All services have some sort of other access road for emergency services,H&S bs normally means they have to be kept clear hence the reason for police not liking them being used by public.
No they don’t - As mentioned earlier, Stafford South on the M6 has no access road other than via the Motorway sliproads.
Cobham services also has no minor road, the M25 is the only option. Rownhams services has put permanent bollards in a few years ago for their access roads as the locals kept using them. Funny as ■■■■ when they first put them in watching everyone sheepishly reversing back out.
There is a service area on the M4 that has access to a chemical factory, and there was one on the M1 that accessed a crisp factory
Wheel Nut:
There is a service area on the M4 that has access to a chemical factory…
Rutpen?
Michael Wood Sth has a pub by the service road.