Westmids roadworks

the roadworks around the west mids are a nightmare, now a new set off works to replace the metal central reservation with a concrete one is now live(was nothing wrong with the old ). but they have now closed the hard shoulder lane which was lane 1 off 3 as there have been lots off potholes found so the que in the morning starts at jcn 10 m42 tamworth to jcn 3 m42 a435 that is 20 miles off standstill traffic, the alternative was to join the m6 nth after jcn 9 off the m42 up the m6nth then down the m5 but the so called overnight drainage works that has been running for over 14 months is no where complete as no one works overnight on them works( they dont even turn up for work on some days)…so the new news now is they are narrowing the lanes on the m42 by the airport a45 jcn for the next 2 years so thats another pain…why the hell dont they finish off the 1set off roadworks on the m42 jcn 9 to the m6nth first then start on the bottom end off the m42…this is how to bring the west midland roadworks to a standstill by getting highways contractors off gumtree. …rantover!

Yes but by doing all the sections at once means all be done quicker and back to normal.
Where as if the did it a section at a time it would take a lot longer.

Trouble is it never gets back to normal, they just find another reason to put some up. As you’re finding out once they finish doing the smart motorway they then decide “ooh, lets upgrade the central reservation barriers to concrete” and they’re off again for another 2 years.

Take the M1 smart motorway upgrades. It’s now been on the go over 20 years between Sheffield and the M25…We thought they’d done with it on some stretched but then they decided to do a new stretch around Northampton. That got finished and we all celebrated at the end of 2 years of misery on that stretch but then they decided to do more “upgrades” on it. M62 was the same. Upgraded to smart motorway around Leeds, got that sorted and done then they decided to change the central reservation barriers.

And those concrete barriers are a waste of time as last month’s accident on the A1M near Catterick proved. Lorry still went through it into the other carriageway but instead of the barrier being repaired within a night or two tops with them rocking up, closing the outside lane in each direction overnight it took over 3 weeks to fix a lorry sized hole including involving a 3 week long lane closure and 50MPH limit and multiple overnight full closures.

The part i love most :unamused: is how they can manage to close one or more obvious alternatives on the same night, whilst its not too bad for long term drivers and those not running at full height, for foreigners newer drivers and those running up around the 16ft mark it must be a nightmare.

I’ve hads to run old and inadvisable country routes multiple times over the last decade especially since they got together and closed parallel routes simultaneously, one hopes its sheer incompetence on the work planners behalf.

audi2001:
the roadworks around the west mids are a nightmare, now a new set off works to replace the metal central reservation with a concrete one is now live(was nothing wrong with the old ). but they have now closed the hard shoulder lane which was lane 1 off 3 as there have been lots off potholes found so the que in the morning starts at jcn 10 m42 tamworth to jcn 3 m42 a435 that is 20 miles off standstill traffic, the alternative was to join the m6 nth after jcn 9 off the m42 up the m6nth then down the m5 but the so called overnight drainage works that has been running for over 14 months is no where complete as no one works overnight on them works( they dont even turn up for work on some days)…so the new news now is they are narrowing the lanes on the m42 by the airport a45 jcn for the next 2 years so thats another pain…why the hell dont they finish off the 1set off roadworks on the m42 jcn 9 to the m6nth first then start on the bottom end off the m42…this is how to bring the west midland roadworks to a standstill by getting highways contractors off gumtree. …rantover!

wouldnt mind the roadworks but the m6/m42 overnight drainage work is non existent, no one works overnight on this stretch but signs are saying OVERNIGHT DRAINAGE WORKS nd there is hardly any one working there during the days, emailed highways for completion date and was told there is no completion date so an estimate is 2-3 years!..wtf!
then you got jcn 10 on the m6. 3 years to complete 1 junction!..and still not finished!

@audi2001 …… can u come of 42 at j9, 446 to 452 and either follow to A45 and take a left and follow to A46 then head to M40 j15 or if 45 is buggered, stay on A452…. Not a bad route tbf….seem to remember DDs going that way and reasonably fast…joins up with A4177 and a left at the roundabout takes u about 2 miles from M40 j15….misses all the crap/closures around 42/40 split

Actrosman:
@audi2001 …… can u come of 42 at j9, 446 to 452 and either follow to A45 and take a left and follow to A46 then head to M40 j15 or if 45 is buggered, stay on A452…. Not a bad route tbf….seem to remember DDs going that way and reasonably fast…joins up with A4177 and a left at the roundabout takes u about 2 miles from M40 j15….misses all the crap/closures around 42/40 split

thats ok going to the m40 south, the problem is getting to a435 a441 a38 on the m42 towards m5… took me 1hr.50mins from jcn 9 hams hall to the a435 jcn 3 m42 today. every one trying to take different routes but taking just as long

Went down the A46 to try and miss it this morning, that was a nightmare aswell.

Andrewsfoxes:
Went down the A46 to try and miss it this morning, that was a nightmare aswell.

yup… this is the 1st day only, we got to put up with this for 2 years :cry:

audi2001:

Actrosman:
@audi2001 …… can u come of 42 at j9, 446 to 452 and either follow to A45 and take a left and follow to A46 then head to M40 j15 or if 45 is buggered, stay on A452…. Not a bad route tbf….seem to remember DDs going that way and reasonably fast…joins up with A4177 and a left at the roundabout takes u about 2 miles from M40 j15….misses all the crap/closures around 42/40 split

thats ok going to the m40 south, the problem is getting to a435 a441 a38 on the m42 towards m5… took me 1hr.50mins from jcn 9 hams hall to the a435 jcn 3 m42 today. every one trying to take different routes but taking just as long

Ah…the joys of days……I don’t have to put up with so much of the queues, just the closures….the joys of nights!

I don’t have to put up with either-oh, the joys of retirement.
However when the weather improves and I can get my flat cap, pipe and whippet together and load up my caravan, then you’ll see some tailbacks. I won’t 'cos they’ll all be behind me…

Same as Manchester area always doing something.
Was M60 then m62 now m56.which was supposed be done 4 months ago still ongoing Plus princess parkway being shut over nights to be resurfaced.
And there’s talk and plans about making m60 /66 junction roundabout into simar layout as at end of the M6 ie no need to use the roundabout to when changing from.one motorway to the other.
All this section was made into smart motorway couple years ago. You’d of thought they’d of done the changes then.
Instead of digging up the motorway theve only recent done.

op just got started in the trade

UPDATE! after many emails from lots off companys and individuals to higways england regarding the delays on the m42 lane closure they took action and repaired the potholes on the closed lane and now the m42 thru the roadworks has 3 lanes operational…yipee :smiley:

Just read their latest tweet.
Closing the motorway every night into April… Closed it last night with no warning on twitter or on there own website.
Wud be far quicker to just shut lane 3 off, and run 2 lanes. They have spent about 5 months cutting trees, installing speed cameras, checking the hardshoulder can hold traffic (which it can’t) and now spending another 2 months resurfacing the hard shoulder. Nobody working at night tho on the central reservation bit tho■■? Could have it done In half the time.
You could divert via M5, M6 south… No the M6 between 6 and 5 is closed, I did try M5 JC 3 thru Birmingham one night that was also closed last night.
I just followed their ■■■■■■■■ diversion from JC 2 M42, 25 mins extra driving.
Don’t forget folks they are closing the M6 south next week for 2 weeks overnight between the busiest junction and JC 3, 4 lanes and a hard shoulder closed for resurfacing, can’t keep 1 of those lanes open, must be a trial of a mega paving machine that can pave 5 lanes…
Oh and A14 is closed overnight between 9 and 10 for 2 months, official diversion is a non scenic route (as it’s dark) around Wellingborough and back to the A14, Google maps shows no restrictions going into Kettering and annoying the residents of Barton Seagrave, save Urself some time and ignore the official diversions.

welshmark:
Google maps shows no restrictions going into Kettering and annoying the residents of Barton Seagrave, save Urself some time and ignore the official diversions.

I’m willing to…

Wager that one of the residents of Barton Seagrave will get naffed off with that and someone will get a brick lobbed at them sooner or later.

yourhavingalarf:

welshmark:
Google maps shows no restrictions going into Kettering and annoying the residents of Barton Seagrave, save Urself some time and ignore the official diversions.

I’m willing to…

Wager that one of the residents of Barton Seagrave will get naffed off with that and someone will get a brick lobbed at them sooner or later.

Barton road only passes a handful of houses, I did a trial run last night, the sheep will follow the signs, I go on Google street view and find the shortest route with no restrictions.

On the A14, I’ve noticed that when it’s shut, and the official diversion is ridiculous, but there’s a much shorter, unrestricted route, they often place a mobile speed camera on that shorter route in the early hours. So bear that in mind. There’s a chance they’ll put one in Barton Seagrave somewhere.

I was doing 23mph in a temporary 20 zone up by Felixstowe one night last year. Never heard anything back, but I bet there were plenty doing 30+ who did. Also saw a mobile camera at 2:30am in Stowupland near Stowmarket a few months back.

I think the problem is they have way more cones than they have storage for them . Some joker in an office thought instead of renting a unit and storing a million cones in it they would just close off a lane or 2 for 20 miles and that would sort the storage problem. The "Working at night for your convenience " is just a scam so you think theres a reason for the cones being there .