OK then, I know we don’t exactly like the muppets in “Highways England” but I have tried 5 times to get an answer from them and no one has been forthcoming with a single one.
About 4 months ago I was approaching roadworks, Lane 2 & 3 were closed on a 3 lane motorway, cars were flying by and nearly smashed into a pile of cones and workers. There were no warning of the lane closure to the O/S of the carriageway, so the steady convoy of HGV’s were blocking views of these signs.
I have seen this on 4 different occasions, Trailers are not see through and I don’t know how they expect people to see signs on the N/S Verge if they are overtaking.
Each time I contacted HE and am promised an answer as to why they feel that it is appropriate to halve the number of signs (800/600/400/200yds warnings) on motorways, and as of yet I have had no response.
Is this now how all roadworks are laid out or is it lazy TM guys?
The specification for signage on Highways including for roadworks is laid out in chapter 8 Traffic signs manual. Traffic Safety Measures and Signs for Road Works and Temporary Situations. Theoretically thou shalt not deviate from that and I am fairly certain that where thee is possibility of the signs being obscured by traffic they should be duplicated on both sides of the road.
The bad TM will depend on who is doing it…
It is now policy, as far as I believe, not to have offside signage. This is to prevent the need for road-workers to run across the c/way with signs to place in the central reservation. We were discussing this at work the other night and saying exactly the same as you. Usually when these works are implemented, there are a large number of trucks, night trunkers etc, obscuring the nearside verge, so car drivers get no warning of the road works ahead. One solution might be to start all works from nearside but this would only work if all traffic is going to run the outside lane. Won’t work on a three or four lane motorway if only outside is closed. Off course, if drivers slowed down approaching road works when ’ ROAD WORKERS IN ROAD’ is displayed so less TM crews were struck and injured, we wouldn’t need this?
Nessa:
The specification for signage on Highways including for roadworks is laid out in chapter 8 Traffic signs manual. Traffic Safety Measures and Signs for Road Works and Temporary Situations. Theoretically thou shalt not deviate from that and I am fairly certain that where thee is possibility of the signs being obscured by traffic they should be duplicated on both sides of the road.
The bad TM will depend on who is doing it…
trubster:
why they feel that it is appropriate to halve the number of signs (800/600/400/200yds warnings) on motorways,
Because workers have to carry those large signs and their frames across three lanes of traffic doing 70 mph (or more) to set them out and take them down at the start and end of every night’s work.
They are trying to reduce the number of occasions that workers have to cross live lanes. Longer term works will still have signs on both sides, but the types of works that get set up and taken down in the course of the night are being allowed some relaxations on the TM (others such as the number of cones used in lead in tapers) to reduce the time workers are exposed to traffic.
If everyone used all available lanes until the closure then merged in turn, there would be all lanes showing brake lights as they slow down so everyone behind can see the traffic.
Mailman:
If everyone used all available lanes until the closure then merged in turn, there would be all lanes showing brake lights as they slow down so everyone behind can see the traffic.
Mailman:
If everyone used all available lanes until the closure then merged in turn, there would be all lanes showing brake lights as they slow down so everyone behind can see the traffic.
lol, will never happen, everyone’s in a rush and got to get in front, folk bang on about using all available lanes right up to the closure over and over, yes it might work over in Europe but it wont ever work here!
what does happen is everyone keeps swopping lanes and pushing in till it gets wedged up, I deliver tarmac often on nights to these type of road works and it can be a right ■■■■ of a job to gain access due to traffic! then when you finally gain access you can guarantee that although your covered in flashing beacons and strobe lights some idiots will still follow you into the works access !
Mailman:
If everyone used all available lanes until the closure then merged in turn, there would be all lanes showing brake lights as they slow down so everyone behind can see the traffic.
lol, will never happen, everyone’s in a rush and got to get in front, folk bang on about using all available lanes right up to the closure over and over, yes it might work over in Europe but it wont ever work here!
what does happen is everyone keeps swopping lanes and pushing in till it gets wedged up, I deliver tarmac often on nights to these type of road works and it can be a right [zb] of a job to gain access due to traffic! then when you finally gain access you can guarantee that although your covered in flashing beacons and strobe lights some idiots will still follow you into the works access !
People are morons. I was coming back today on the M69 where it clogs up joining the M1 at J22 in the roadworks there, in the second lane that was having traffic from lane 3 merging, leaving a large gap to keep traffic rolling, merging traffic could join whilst not causing the flow to stop etc. Did people actually jump in? Zb no! The all sailed past getting jammed up right as lane 3 disappears. Not to mention everyone riding the arse end of the car infront causing an acordian effect which is very annoying if you are pushed for time! I did see a Merc rear end a little hatchback just as I joined the M1, Merc guy not looking where he was going.
To be fair, they do try to help by using the overhead matrix signs to warn of lane closures ahead with lowered speed limits on the M1 around Nottingham on a night time, but car drivers and “professional” also ignore these warnings as well advanced warnings as well.
Infact it seems that the overhead gantry signs were a total waste of money, because not many drivers actually take any notice what they say.
Albion alert - warning warning