ianphampton Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Last weekend I was travelling south on the joyous major artery known as the M6. My son was reading a 1990 'Performance Ford' magazine (given to him by a neighbour clearing out his back room preparatory to moving) I have attached the scan of the magazine but the relevant section says:- "The low spots [of 1989] have been virtually every time that I have had to go on the M1, M5, M6 or M25. All four are hopelessly inadequate, and deeperately need to be widenend; even as I write Steve Wright is on Radio One with news of a 16 mile tailback on the M6 and a similar one hold-up on the M25 . . . ." Maybe it's me but I fail to understand how any agency (Dept of Transport / Highways Agency) can be so poorly managed and have so poor a record that after 25 years ( 25 YEARS!!) they have not progressed to any sort of solution. Ah well, rant over, no doubt it will all be the same in another 25 years but by then we'll all be in a queue of robot controlled 3 cylinder diesels and all doing 50mph for fuel efficiency and the beloved Health and Safety - you know, the sort of driving experience we all love and relish. (Sorry about that lst bit of vituperation) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliveBoy Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 In fairness, the M25 is in a near constant state of road widening, which actually means it's in a constant state of roadworks, narrow lanes and average speed cameras... oh wait... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 I read somewhere that they are now taking away the Hard Shoulder on the M25 and using it as a 4th lane..That will cause chaos, especially if you break down, very good chance of you getting killed. :scare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
350zedd Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Its called PROGRESS!! Taxpayers money being put to good use.......as always! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 (edited) Is it not unavoidable that on a one way style road that if an accident occurs, particularly if serious, delays will be severe due to the closure as you literally have no escape route or road. Whilst increasing the capacity, its not going to stop accidents. Perhaps they need better contingency plans to get or keep the traffic flowing in such an event? But agree in part, the road network cannot cope with the volume of traffic in general. I think people should be encouraged to use m ways at off peak times, I.e 10pm to 6 am, particularly haulage compaines and in this day and age of flexible working hours, the gov need to do more to spread the volume! Edited August 6, 2014 by Jetpilot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glrnet Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 I read somewhere that they are now taking away the Hard Shoulder on the M25 and using it as a 4th lane..That will cause chaos, especially if you break down, very good chance of you getting killed. :scare: It's already happened in Kent and has been likewise on M42 for atvleast a couple of years, has improved traffic flow considerably in both cases and I'm sure we would have heard if there had been a disaster. There are emrgency refuge areas and the sections of motorway are permantly monitored by cctv and all have overhead gantry lane control too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 But there were probably a quarter of the cars 25 years ago compared to now - definitely more lanes on motorways and more taxation on fuel to make you use cars less, but its just keeping up with population growth and vehicle usage, it can't outpace it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 more taxation on fuel to make you use your car less All well and good but what about people that have no choice that have to use a vehicle for work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 more taxation on fuel to make you use your car less All well and good but what about people that have no choice that have to use a vehicle for work? Clearly its not aimed at them (even though they are affected - but companies like BP offer fuel cards to VAT registered businesses to get reductions in the cost) but at your lazy driver who could use public transport as an alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 The roads are fine, it's the people using them that's the problem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 The roads are fine, it's the people using them that's the problem. Its those bloody 911 drivers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliveBoy Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Too many people think having a car is a right not a privilege. The problem is the cost of public transport, it's too cheap to run a car in comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 (edited) I read somewhere that they are now taking away the Hard Shoulder on the M25 and using it as a 4th lane..That will cause chaos, especially if you break down, very good chance of you getting killed. :scare: It's already happened in Kent and has been likewise on M42 for atvleast a couple of years, has improved traffic flow considerably in both cases and I'm sure we would have heard if there had been a disaster. There are emrgency refuge areas and the sections of motorway are permantly monitored by cctv and all have overhead gantry lane control too. Hum..shows what I know about motorways, Use M1 occasionally to Luton Airport, M25 sometimes to Stansted Airport & M4 to London Airport. I know everything about the North Circular though..!! Edited August 6, 2014 by WhackyWill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 (edited) more taxation on fuel to make you use your car less All well and good but what about people that have no choice that have to use a vehicle for work? Clearly its not aimed at them (even though they are affected - but companies like BP offer fuel cards to VAT registered businesses to get reductions in the cost) but at your lazy driver who could use public transport as an alternative. You then make driving a luxury that only the wealthy will be able to afford, plus the government wants you in your car, they dont really want you on public transport, they cant afford for you not to drive! Imho they need to offer incentives to car share, out of city parking, like a park and ride, etc Edited August 6, 2014 by Jetpilot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasso Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 I read somewhere that they are now taking away the Hard Shoulder on the M25 and using it as a 4th lane..That will cause chaos, especially if you break down, very good chance of you getting killed. :scare: It's already happened in Kent and has been likewise on M42 for atvleast a couple of years, has improved traffic flow considerably in both cases and I'm sure we would have heard if there had been a disaster. There are emrgency refuge areas and the sections of motorway are permantly monitored by cctv and all have overhead gantry lane control too. Yup M42 was hugely improved with the 4th lane. The gantry will advise if you can drive or not in the 4th (hard shoulder). X marks no way Jose and 40-60mph shows that it's open. I think it's brilliant because every other bugger drives lanes 1-3, so I chop down 4 just ever so slightly faster than all the other cars, only because they're doing 5mph under the gantry specified speed!!! I call it the "I'm not an idiot lane" PULL IN TO THE LEFT YOU IDIOTS!!!!! It's a free lane, use the damn thing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glrnet Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 I read somewhere that they are now taking away the Hard Shoulder on the M25 and using it as a 4th lane..That will cause chaos, especially if you break down, very good chance of you getting killed. :scare: It's already happened in Kent and has been likewise on M42 for atvleast a couple of years, has improved traffic flow considerably in both cases and I'm sure we would have heard if there had been a disaster. There are emrgency refuge areas and the sections of motorway are permantly monitored by cctv and all have overhead gantry lane control too. Hum..shows what I know about motorways, Use M1 occasionally to Luton Airport, M25 sometimes to Stansted Airport & M4 to London Airport. I know everything about the North Circular though..!! I'd settle for that little Motorway use!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 I read somewhere that they are now taking away the Hard Shoulder on the M25 and using it as a 4th lane..That will cause chaos, especially if you break down, very good chance of you getting killed. :scare: It's already happened in Kent and has been likewise on M42 for atvleast a couple of years, has improved traffic flow considerably in both cases and I'm sure we would have heard if there had been a disaster. There are emrgency refuge areas and the sections of motorway are permantly monitored by cctv and all have overhead gantry lane control too. Hum..shows what I know about motorways, Use M1 occasionally to Luton Airport, M25 sometimes to Stansted Airport & M4 to London Airport. I know everything about the North Circular though..!! I'd settle for that little Motorway use!! or North Circular, A13, M25, A20 Brands Hatch, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Is it not unavoidable that on a one way style road that if an accident occurs, particularly if serious, delays will be severe due to the closure as you literally have no escape route or road. Whilst increasing the capacity, its not going to stop accidents. Perhaps they need better contingency plans to get or keep the traffic flowing in such an event? But agree in part, the road network cannot cope with the volume of traffic in general. Adding extra lanes, well for a start it's very expensive, imagine the cost of widening for example the M6/M5 bottleneck junction in Birmingham. Buying up land is also very expensive, the proposed M4 relief road will cost £1 billion, much of that in compulsary purchase, for just a 14 mile stretch around Newport. There were plans to widen the A55 in North Wales to 3 lanes but the cost was horrendous. The 2 lane 1 mile long tunnel under the River Conway which cost around £150 million in the 1980's would cost a further £500 million to add an extra lane and with the other tunnels that would need to be widened, junctions altered, etc we're looking at several billion. I know that the proposed widening of a 5 mile section by our house was costed out at £250 million in 2006, you're probably looking at £400-£500 million today (more than the entire annual budget for road building in Wales). Accidents are the main problem and widening roads will in general make little difference in reality. We were extremely short sighted in the 60's in ripping up our railways, mind you it didn't help that at that time the minister of transport was one Ernest Marples, managing director of Marples Ridgeway which constructed much of our early motorways. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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