So back to the original post - overnight closures on A1S at Doncaster. Not last night but night before when M1S was shut 42-38, we were all diverted down the A1 and then across the M18. Already a massive diversion if you’ve come out of Bradford (for example), but yet again the muppets have closed off the A1 as well so what now? The entire traffic from the north and north-east going south has nowhere to go except down country lanes and through town centres, what a ■■■■■■■ shambles.
Anyway, looks like HA may have read my OP as in their infinite wisdom they’d decided to shut the A1 at 38 instead of 37 this time, which was a fairly sensible move on the face on it. BUT… instead of keeping everything on the d/c and hooking it back up on the M18 on the other side of Donny, oh no, they decide to send everything UP the crappy little back road back to 37 through the housing estate. Yet again, what they completely failed to realise is that the lights on the 638 at that junction only let 2 cars through per sequence, so you end up with 5 miles of d/c solid with trucks all the way back to 38 on the A1 because of the timing. And again, absolutely no warnings on the matrix’ of the closure until you suddenly find yourself facing a wall of cones at J38. 2.5 hours to get from Bradford to Sheffield. If the matrix signs had been utilised properly like they’re supposed to, I could’ve gone straight down through Huddersfield and been there in an hour, tops. Thankfully I charge by the hour but I feel sorry for those people who are on salary.
It’s been said many times, but I’ll say it again…Phone 03001235000 that’s the HA information line, speak to an operator and put your complaint about the signage.
The real Biffo:
It’s been said many times, but I’ll say it again…Phone 03001235000 that’s the HA information line, speak to an operator and put your complaint about the signage.
You or one of the cronies admitted only a few days ago that even YOU can’t get any sense out of them when you bell them up to complain about bad/wrong messages on the matrix boards so what ■■■■■■■ hope have joe public got when they ignore their own employees? Just scrap the whole ■■■■■■■ thing and let’s get back to how things were without every ■■■■■■■ major motorway closed every night of the week for grass cutting or some other non-event.
M40 just before the split for the 42 was a bit special needs last night. 3 lanes closed and moving you over to the hard shoulder via the chevrons for the sliproad that joins the 40. Only had trucks banging down into a great big dip in the chevron area. The truck in front of me slapped it one and put some serious twist and bounce on his trailer. Looked like it was about go airbourne. Gave me chance to slow up more before my go. Still slammed me around with an almighy thud,it was more hole than dip.
Which ever ■■■■ decided to have vehicles going over that wants a slap on the side of the head.
Thick as ■■■■.
paul@midway:
M40 just before the split for the 42 was a bit special needs last night. 3 lanes closed and moving you over to the hard shoulder via the chevrons for the sliproad that joins the 40. Only had trucks banging down into a great big dip in the chevron area. The truck in front of me slapped it one and put some serious twist and bounce on his trailer. Looked like it was about go airbourne. Gave me chance to slow up more before my go. Still slammed me around with an almighy thud,it was more hole than dip.
Which ever [zb] decided to have vehicles going over that wants a slap on the side of the head.
Thick as [zb].
I didn’t have the luxury of experiencing that one as I came off the M40 on the A46 so didn’t get that far, but I did cop for the muppets on the A34 at Oxford. Lane 1 closed and absolutely ■■■■ all going on, just a few vans parked up in there with beacons flashing. Pitch black, no lights and raining, then suddenly a traffic light sign appears through the mist and 100 yards later I’m faced with a red light in front of me, just in lane 2. WTF. Sat there for nearly 15 mins for an “■■■■■■” van to turn up, meanwhile there’s 2 mile of traffic now stacked up behind me. Van appears and I follows it through, doing exactly 10 mph for the full 2 mile stretch. Like I say, absolutely ■■■■ all happening, no work being carried out at all. Just 20 vans parked up with the occupants all fast asleep.
I just love those convoys they put in on the 34. You’ve never lived if you have’nt experienced one
I especially like it when some doss ■■■■ decides to kick a few cones further into the live lane and because you are already skimming the central reservation barrier it leaves you the only option of running it over.
On the subject of matrix signs I was trundling along the M4 near the Bath turn off and the matrix signs were flashing up M6 shut junction 29 - 30, now good of them to give us plenty of warning but how far apart is M4 nr Bath to M6 j 29 a couple of hours I would guess. What’s the point.
Wheel Nut:
By tomorrow there will be half a dozen posts about how badly done to they are.
Not from me, i’d been on 3 days off 40 miles away from the nearest motorway. None of these closures are in my area. Just phone the HAIL line and complain, it should be looked into.
bald bloke:
On the subject of matrix signs I was trundling along the M4 near the Bath turn off and the matrix signs were flashing up M6 shut junction 29 - 30, now good of them to give us plenty of warning but how far apart is M4 nr Bath to M6 j 29 a couple of hours I would guess. What’s the point.
Because another thick headed daft hairy arsed trucker . Couldn’t be bothered to secure his ‘chemical’ load and spilled it along the carriageway again .
It takes more than a couple of hours for the Tarmac to dry , thats after they’ve planed the surface and taken everything else away that had melted/broken up.
Bit like the M25 fuel spill another regular occurance, as was mentioned on another forum ‘Maybe it’s about time they started removing a few operators licences’ as it certainly seems there’s a fair few who ain’t fit to hold them.
Forever on the travel news nowadays about trucks breaking down in live lanes as well, are the operators cutting back too much on maintenance in these cash strapped, cutthroat times ?
Coming from York to Foston last night. Obvious route is A1 M18 M1 etc but gets on the A1 at Bramham and matrix is flashing M1 crash 40-39, which is fine as I wasn’t planning to go that way anyway. Gets down past J38 A638 and then signs for roadworks appear, lane 2 closed. No problem. Next thing “A1 south closed, follow diversion”. The HA muppets have got everyone coming off at J37 which is some ■■■■■■■ single lane back road which goes through a housing estate and eventually joins back up with the A638 just north of Donny. ■■■■■■■ road is backed up for miles and down the A1 as well. The problem being that the lights at the end with the A638 only let 2 cars through before going back to red for another 10 mins.
WTF.
How thick are these ■■■■■■■? A638 is a ■■■■■■■ dual carr all the way into Donny and out the other side to the M18 and the traffic has priority so the lights stay on green for a sensible amount of time.
So 2 problems :
No-one in Wetherby cares about a minor bump on a 3 lane motorway at Wakefield. What they do care about is a ■■■■■■■ motorway closure at Doncaster so the matrix at Wetherby should have read A1 SOUTH CLOSED AT J37 so we could’ve all gone down the micky 1.
The matrix boards near to Doncaster should have read FOR A1 SOUTH EXIT AT J38 & FOLLOW DIVERSION.
THAT IS IT. [ZB] SIMPLE AND COULD HAVE SAVED PEOPLE A LOT OF TIME AND HASSLE.
Lighting mcqueen:
No one gives a toss!! your a professional driver go and buy a map and deal with it.
WTF does he need a map for, he clearly knows all the routes as he mentions them in his post. What he needed was relevant information for the area he was in.
M6 southbound last night. Plenty of signs informing of the closure between 15 and 14 and once back on the motorway at 14 the signs were saying things such as Spray Slow Down but not a word about the closure at J8 until about half a mile before the slip. That’s the second time in recent weeks they have had a full closure in at J8 and not a mention on the signs. It’s not a major diversion, down M5 to J1, spin round and come back north but it would be nice to have the information so you could use the Toll road instead of faffing about.
Those boards may as well be turned off if they show duff info. I went to hayes a few months back, left tilbury, matrix’s on the 13 and 25 as far as the A1 say A1 shut after A52, wtf. All boards off as far as M40, pass the junction and next board says M4 east closed at M25. I had to sit in all the crap going up the A30 when I could have used the M40
Lighting mcqueen:
No one gives a toss!! your a professional driver go and buy a map and deal with it.
WTF does he need a map for, he clearly knows all the routes as he mentions them in his post. What he needed was relevant information for the area he was in.
M6 southbound last night. Plenty of signs informing of the closure between 15 and 14 and once back on the motorway at 14 the signs were saying things such as Spray Slow Down but not a word about the closure at J8 until about half a mile before the slip. That’s the second time in recent weeks they have had a full closure in at J8 and not a mention on the signs. It’s not a major diversion, down M5 to J1, spin round and come back north but it would be nice to have the information so you could use the Toll road instead of faffing about.
blah blah blah! occupational hazard! a so call professional driver being caught up in traffic. I missed my bus last week and had to wait an hour for another one but the little electric sign at the bus stop said it would be 45mins!!! I didnt go shouting about it like a mad man…
If he buys a map he won’t need to use the HA roads he hates so much! he can do it cross country…
Rather than throwing his toys out his pram and winging about it on a forum, maybe he should be telling the HA the problem so they can sort the [zb] thing out!! or is he just looking for sympathy??
You will find sympathy in the dictionary between [zb] and syphilis pal
Having a map has f-all to do with HA setting up stupid diversion routes.
Like the one down on the 25 nr woking the other month, the plod were going mad with artics practically getting stuck against each other in a tiny village.
Lighting mcqueen:
…blah blah blah! occupational hazard! a so call professional driver being caught up in traffic. I missed my bus last week and had to wait an hour for another one but the little electric sign at the bus stop said it would be 45mins!!! I didnt go shouting about it like a mad man…
If he buys a map he won’t need to use the HA roads he hates so much! he can do it cross country…
Rather than throwing his toys out his pram and winging about it on a forum, maybe he should be telling the HA the problem so they can sort the foooking thing out!! or is he just looking for sympathy??
You will find sympathy in the dictionary between $hlt and syphilis pal
Lighting mcqueen:
…blah blah blah! occupational hazard! a so call professional driver being caught up in traffic. I missed my bus last week and had to wait an hour for another one but the little electric sign at the bus stop said it would be 45mins!!! I didnt go shouting about it like a mad man…
If he buys a map he won’t need to use the HA roads he hates so much! he can do it cross country…
Rather than throwing his toys out his pram and winging about it on a forum, maybe he should be telling the HA the problem so they can sort the foooking thing out!! or is he just looking for sympathy??
You will find sympathy in the dictionary between $hlt and syphilis pal
…Spoken like a true HA employee.
It brings them all out in force, not on the roads but sat reading forums in case somebody is rude about them
By tomorrow there will be half a dozen posts about how badly done to they are.
Well i am off to watch the CARS movie. MACK didnt need a map where he was going. He wanted to sleep with the other trucks but his boss would not let him !!
The entire traffic from the north and north-east going south has nowhere to go except down country lanes and through town centres, what a ■■■■■■■ shambles. 
2.5 hours to get from Bradford to Sheffield. If the matrix signs had been utilised properly like they’re supposed to, I could’ve gone straight down through Huddersfield and been there in an hour, tops. Thankfully I charge by the hour but I feel sorry for those people who are on salary.
Sat there for nearly 15 mins for an “■■■■■■” van to turn up, meanwhile there’s 2 mile of traffic now stacked up behind me. Van appears and I follows it through, doing exactly 10 mph for the full 2 mile stretch. 
. Couldn’t be bothered to secure his ‘chemical’ load and spilled it along the carriageway again 