It took three weeks to build a new pavement on a minor road, it is about 30 metres long, located between Wingfield and Trowbridge.
They shut the road for ONE week in both directions.
Then two weeks of traffic lights.
How can it take that long?
All they did was dig out the ditch,lay out kerb stones then tarmac a path.
Tax payers money wasted.
Passing by, I saw about a dozen work men standing around doing nothing.
Talk about stretching the job out.
The road surface has not been dug up or touched in any way.
switchlogic:
3. Stop ■■■■■■■ about with the roads. The UK is a sea of never ending roadworks while they ‘improve’ them. One day I dream of being able to do a simple 4 hour journey without hitting any roadworks. I’m starting to think I’ll never see this in my lifetime. They built the M1 to Watford gap in 18 months in the fifties. Now it takes them a couple of years just to improve a single junction, let alone the rest. If they built the M1 at current speeds they’d probably be still building it now, over 50 years later.
The M1 from J26 to J31 has had roadworks almost perpetually for nearly a decade and a half. I don’t think I can actually recall the last time I drove from the M18 to Nottingham without a long term 50 limit roadworks on one part of it or the other.
First they spent half a decade widening sections of it from 28-26. Then they spent half a decade upgrading the central reservation barriers to concrete from 26-31. And then they’re now spending half a decade ripping out the concrete barriers they installed to upgrade it to a smart motorway.
I fully expect that once they’ve finished that in a year or so we’ll get 6 months of peace before they start another half decade project to widen 28-31 to four lanes.
^ and why do such a large stretch in one go. most times you drive about 20 miles and see no one working to get to the last mile with about 20 people doing stuff.
Tried getting from Keele services to the Lyceam Theatre in Crewe last night.
A500 closed, diversion back down the M6 1 junction. Diversion puts you on the a500 further down, then just says end of diversion. You end up back at the closed bit on junction 16. Not aided by there being another diversion that’s been sent down that route, so 2 sets of diversion signs but neither seem to have any indication about which original route they’re for.
Ended going through Newcastle under Lyme and avoiding the 500 all together, only because I stopped and rerouted myself though.
But in general, night closures are getting ridiculous now. 90% of my job is night driving, think I’m yet to manage a night without some kind of closure or reduced speed limit.
Why can’t we do it like Germany. Do a little bit at a time to reduce disruption, and actually get on with it quickly. Over here we seem to think that coning off 5 junctions worth of a motorway while we work on a small part of it is a sensible option.
You gotta be kidding Hammy mate! Have you driven in Germany recently? The cones seem to stretch from one border to the next.
the maoster:
You gotta be kidding Hammy mate! Have you driven in Germany recently? The cones seem to stretch from one border to the next.
Just did 2 weeks touring there, didn’t see any. Maybe I was lucky!
While we’re on the subject, does anyone know how long before they finish the M6 J13-10a? It seems to have been going on forever now, it’s just tedious, every night in both directions, and very rarely do I actually see more than half a dozen workers doing anything for the entire stretch. It’s worse every night northbound, just after where the M6 Toll merges where it’s down to 1 lane for ages, invariably stuck behind a car driver tootling along 42 mph.
Sprinter Si:
While we’re on the subject, does anyone know how long before they finish the M6 J13-10a? It seems to have been going on forever now, it’s just tedious, every night in both directions, and very rarely do I actually see more than half a dozen workers doing anything for the entire stretch. It’s worse every night northbound, just after where the M6 Toll merges where it’s down to 1 lane for ages, invariably stuck behind a car driver tootling along 42 mph.
According to the HA website, it’s costing £87.5million and should be finished by Autumn 2015.
In other words. It won’t be finished this year. 
Tell me about it. The A1/A421 chicanery is my personal nightmare at the moment. Seems to catch me 2 or 3 times a week 
As a night trunker I’ve just resigned myself to the fact now that the at least 1 of the roads I need is probably going to be closed.
Tried to go down the M5 from the M6 South last week and it was closed so carried on to J7 and got off there. Did anyone else see the copper car on the island smashed to bits ?
Just a little heads up for those heading West along M4 this Wednesday…it’s closed 17-18…from 8pm till 6. 8pm I say…wtf…give us a bloody chance…I ain’t left the yard by then! Also closed É/B 18-17 on Friday. Is the M4 btwn ‘The Big Smoke’ and M5 going for the title of ‘stretch of Motorway with the most overnight disruption possible at one time’ title? And I did notice on the way out of Chepstow last night that the M48 is closed e/b for a few nights very soon 
i agree. I’m 5 weeks in to my first class 1 job and permanent nights and have to admit that it’s a nightmare to get around. You eventually get where you are going and think you’ve cracked it until you attempt to rejoin the motorway at the same junction after making your delivery/collection only for it to be closed and sub standard diversions are in place if at all. A14 last week (forget the junction now) but the diversion was to send you up the slip road on to the island and back the way you came. I initially followed another artic driver round said island 3 times looking for the non existent signs for diversion. Got the map out in the end and found a suitable way round but it cost me over half hour to get back on track.They need a rocket up them these bloody idiots who think everyone is a local and will find their way round ok. 
Was that near Kettering or the M11 ?
And a quick check of the signs last night and the M48/7bridge is closed E/B from 27th-30th, which coincides nicely with M4 j18-17 being closed on Friday night…allow a bit of extra time if heading to Swindon or further on! Surely there’s gotta be a closure around the Berks/Wilts border chucked in the mix to keep things interesting!
Sprinter Si:
While we’re on the subject, does anyone know how long before they finish the M6 J13-10a? It seems to have been going on forever now, it’s just tedious, every night in both directions, and very rarely do I actually see more than half a dozen workers doing anything for the entire stretch. It’s worse every night northbound, just after where the M6 Toll merges where it’s down to 1 lane for ages, invariably stuck behind a car driver tootling along 42 mph.
They’ve actually replaced the “Spring 2015” signs with “Autumn 2015” ones. So expect nothing this side of Christmas.
God only knows what they’re playing at with that stretch of the A500 from Crewe to J16. The signs indicating when that’ll be done have gone altogether. It’s just a bloody shambles, the last few hundred yards racked me up half an hour of tacho time one day last week, not to mention the time I was stationary.
And I’m yet to work out what’s going on at J8, but you can lose half an hour there, even on a Sunday afternoon. IMO if they’re going to ■■■■ about to this extent, they should do a deal with the Midland Expressway folks to allow free use of the M6 Toll.
Won’t happen, I know.
PaulNowak:
Sprinter Si:
While we’re on the subject, does anyone know how long before they finish the M6 J13-10a? It seems to have been going on forever now, it’s just tedious, every night in both directions, and very rarely do I actually see more than half a dozen workers doing anything for the entire stretch. It’s worse every night northbound, just after where the M6 Toll merges where it’s down to 1 lane for ages, invariably stuck behind a car driver tootling along 42 mph.They’ve actually replaced the “Spring 2015” signs with “Autumn 2015” ones. So expect nothing this side of Christmas.
God only knows what they’re playing at with that stretch of the A500 from Crewe to J16. The signs indicating when that’ll be done have gone altogether. It’s just a bloody shambles, the last few hundred yards racked me up half an hour of tacho time one day last week, not to mention the time I was stationary.
And I’m yet to work out what’s going on at J8, but you can lose half an hour there, even on a Sunday afternoon. IMO if they’re going to ■■■■ about to this extent, they should do a deal with the Midland Expressway folks to allow free use of the M6 Toll.
Won’t happen, I know.
This could be JNC 8 ■■
highways.gov.uk/roads/road-p … erproofing
This possibly jnc 16 highways.gov.uk/roads/road-p … ent-Scheme
You could email the contact details here
gov.uk/government/organisat … ays-agency including the senior management named on there with the links to the above and ask them if the webpages are up to date and relevant 
As of next week ‘Highways England’ are supposed to be much more ‘customer focused’ so you would hope they could keep the info up to date and relevant
I could also go and try to nail a spag bol to the ceiling. It’d probably be more worthwhile
There was a really awful period last year and the year before just like this one (and a lot of threads about it). After April it seemed to ease off, and it always seems to get worse Feb/March time. It could be something to do with using up budgets. It’ll probably ease around Mid April-May.
PaulNowak:
I could also go and try to nail a spag bol to the ceiling. It’d probably be more worthwhile
Well shut the foook up moaning about it unless your prepared to try and do something about it 
Hourly paid bud. But if I’m working those sort of hours, my down time is for me, not being “Angry of Cheshire”