[GB] Motorways in the United Kingdom

[devo]

Especially when it has blue lables...

[tbh444]

Google seems to have quite a few quirks that would be unthinkable in any respectable published maps - another example is if you zoom into the A48 between Cardiff and Bridgend it is mysteriously labelled 'A48 Motorway' (this being mostly a single carriageway road)...

[DanielFigFoz]

There's an 'A308 Motorway' near to here . Some of it is dual carriageway, some of it totally urban single carriageway

[piotr71]

What about this one:

It has seven undivided lanes that are controlled by overhead signal gantries. Most of the time there are three lanes each way, but at peak hours the balance is tipped 4-2, always using one empty lane as a buffer.

[DanielFigFoz]

That one is actually classified as a motorway

[piotr71]

Yes, it indeed is. I pretty much like its interesting design. However, when I first drove on A38M, I didn't feel too safe.

[sotonsi]

why didn't you feel safe? There's a median of sorts with the buffer lane and the speed limit is 50 - normal rural single carriageways have a simple white line and a limit of 60

[DanielFigFoz]

I don't think that people stick to that though

[piotr71]

Originally Posted by sotonsi

why didn't you feel safe? There's a median of sorts with the buffer lane and the speed limit is 50 - normal rural single carriageways have a simple white line and a limit of 60

This feeling is not about this particular road it comes every time when I am driving 1x4 or more lane roads or dual carriageway without barrier in central reservation. I know there are some idiots who seeing slightly wider road starting to behave unpredictably. Some time ago I experienced unusual sight of a car flying over my head. It happened on a regular dual carriageway with no barriers, so, that incident made me a little more suspicious on such roads.

[IanCleverly]

Originally Posted by Omnibuses Blogspot

The Road to Nowhere

In the news before Christmas was the prospect of Brighton & Hove Buses offering two four-hour excursions of the M25, in 2012. Seems odd but why not? A “spokesman” for B&H (who just happened to be Roger French) said, “It is not a boring road at all—you see all sorts of fascinating things”. That’s as may be. Not everyone will share his optimism but I am sure there will be enough to fill at least two full coachloads.

What’s really strange is that it’s taken B&H 26 years to plan such a trip. The road celebrated the 25th anniversary of its completion in 2011. In that time, I’m sure that B&H won’t be the first to undertake the whole orbital ring by coach. But B&H also has a competitor in Premium Coaches who, during the Olympics, will do likewise, starting at sundry outer London tourist spots (so that isn’t really competition at all—B&H starts from Worthing, Hove & Brighton). On 5th August, Premium is offering an M25 tour by Routemaster, but it isn’t saying whether this has an open top or not. It has one and that would be a thing.

Blog story continues Here

[Jonesy55]

Originally Posted by piotr71

What about this one:

It has seven undivided lanes that are controlled by overhead signal gantries. Most of the time there are three lanes each way, but at peak hours the balance is tipped 4-2, always using one empty lane as a buffer.

Yes, I found it odd the first time I drove on it, but having used it many times now I'm used to it.

[ChrisZwolle]

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/9625...heme_now_open/

12 miles of A1 in North Yorkshire have been upgraded to a motorway. I'm not sure if all of A1 has now been upgraded to A1 (M).

[DanielFigFoz]

Originally Posted by ChrisZwolle

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/9625...heme_now_open/

12 miles of A1 in North Yorkshire have been upgraded to a motorway. I'm not sure if all of A1 has now been upgraded to A1 (M).

Parts of the A1 aren't even dual carriageway, but I presume you're talking about the Dishforth-Darlington section, the answer for which is no, as some of the upgrade was cancelled.

[Mateusz]

Originally Posted by ChrisZwolle

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/9625...heme_now_open/

12 miles of A1 in North Yorkshire have been upgraded to a motorway. I'm not sure if all of A1 has now been upgraded to A1 (M).

No way, the other half was slashed in the process of spending cuts

[Uppsala]

How is the Brynglas Tunnels look like now? Do they still have any problems from the fire in July 2011? Or did they now repaired everything?

[Tooooon]

Sorry if this is off topic ,the motorways in the uk are probably the highest quality motorways in the world (of my experience) it's just they lack so much capacity

[poshbakerloo]

Originally Posted by Tooooon

Sorry if this is off topic ,the motorways in the uk are probably the highest quality motorways in the world (of my experience) it's just they lack so much capacity

[IpvNet]

Tbh I wouldn't even call these roads : UK motorways. They're just appalling !
Have a look a the new M25 section Thurrock Services - M11 Junction . It looks like it has been done by hand . The quality is ZERO !
Was talking with some chap from Skanska and was told the foundation will *sink* in time as they're tried to save money. A huge a pile of crap ...

I want my road tax back : mine £248 and wifes £178 ! At least our insurance is low.
In northern side of the country the roads are a bit better.

[IpvNet]

Originally Posted by Tooooon

Sorry if this is off topic ,the motorways in the uk are probably the highest quality motorways in the world (of my experience) it's just they lack so much capacity

This sounds like a Tooth fairy movie for me . Ever driven in Switzerland ? Italy? Spain? Germany? Slovenia? Nederlands?

Not in this life ! UK will never have good motorways. FACT!

[sirfreelancealot]

Originally Posted by IpvNet

This sounds like a Tooth fairy movie for me . Ever driven in Switzerland ? Italy? Spain? Germany? Slovenia? Nederlands?

Not in this life ! UK will never have good motorways. FACT!

The older motorways do tend to be higher quality. The newer ones or modified stretches do look like corners have been cut. The elements in my view that make newer / modified motorways have a lower quality are:

1. Trying to fit widening schemes under and over existing bridge structures, evident by intermittent hard shoulders, and narrowing of lanes. The latter looks odd on an otherwise straight piece of motorway.

2. Underengineered capacity of new routes and junctions. The M80 completion is a classic example. It was meant to be built to 3 and 4 lanes but was restricted to 2 and 3 lanes each way due to concerns that the road would generate more traffic. So in effect congestion has been designed-in making the whole upgrade pretty pointless aside from bringing it up to motorway standard. The M74 completion suffered a similar fate being built to 3 lanes instead of 4 each way - against logic, under some pandering to sustainability objectives.

2. A shift from two lane slip roads to single lane slips at most junctions. This makes entering a motorway more difficult if a truck is in front. With two lanes, at least you could get past and merge onto the motorway in front at an appropriate speed.

3. Roundabouts that are either too small or have shockingly tight deflections. On older roundabouts entry lanes met their respective circulating lanes at a smooth tangent. Entry lanes now meet the circulating lanes, often at a tight angle. So if you were to take a smooth path onto a roundabout, chances are that you'd be negotiating the roundabout using a 'racing line' wandering across towards the inside of the roundabout - not good if there's another driver in the right lane in that space. I've nearly been sideswiped a few times by idiots doing this and not being aware of other road users.

4. Poor surfacing - motorway grade hot rolled asphalt was used until approx 2000 until the Highways Agency insisted on using stone mastic / porous asphalt. Whilst the latter is much smoother and lowers noise levels, it's very slippery until it is worn in. By the time it is worn in, cracks and potholes will have appeared due to bad weather and general wear. The old fashioned hot rolled asphalt I find is much more resilient, lasting 10-20 years whereas the stone mastic stuff is lucky to last more than five years. The A1(M) between the A64 and M1, after 10 years is now riddled with potholes that have been poorly repaired with a few gobs of tarmac making it a very poor quality surface. This type of surfacing was also supposed to reduce spray in wet weather but it usually makes it worse.