[GB] Motorways in the United Kingdom

[ChrisZwolle]

Originally Posted by Nutshell

This thread proves that the UK has no great highways/freeways. What a backward-ass country, with all your silly little 'quaint' country lanes and tiny cars. Save dramatic road-scenery for the rest of the world.

Don't talk shit.

the UK is the only country where the majority of the Motorways are 2x3 lanes or more. A lot of European countries (like mine) can learn from that with it's overcrowded 2x2 lanes motorways.

[Blindfold]

Some UK Motorway aerial photos here:
http://www.webbaviation.co.uk/industrial/motorways.htm

[ChrisZwolle]

For some reason, Britain tends to sign like villages on a very important axe as the M6.


I'd rather see the following destinations (not nessecary in German style, but i don't have another program to draw such signs)



125 mile is still 200km away. I think this says way more than those villages. Birmingham or London are too far away to sign already near Carlisle.

[Blindfold]

Penrith and Kendal are not villages (pop 15000 & 28000 respectively) but are major market towns. Towns of that size are often officially given city status here in Australia.

I would imagine they are signposted because they more or less represent exits from the motorway. In the UK, people will give directions for a certain attraction or village by saying: "follow the Kendal turnoff" etc.

BTW Chris1491, do you have some sort of connection with Carlisle?

[noblergt]

Originally Posted by Nutshell

3 lanes is the max, in the UK.

what










Also here are some examples of expressways which are not included in the motorway statistics.







In many cases these are simply not motorways in name only, all dual carrigeways have the same speed limit as motorways unless otherwise instructed. Where the two differ are that motorways cannot have at grade junctions and have to have a hard shoulder, while expressways are not held to these restrictions, yet the biggest adhere to them anyway, but are not included on the map/statistics.

In my opinion the motorway system itself is not as extensive in comparison to countries of a similar size, but the expressways make up for it, providing the same speedy access to the rest of the country that motoways do.

[ChrisZwolle]

Originally Posted by Blindfold

Penrith and Kendal are not villages (pop 15000 & 28000 respectively) but are major market towns. Towns of that size are often officially given city status here in Australia.

I would imagine they are signposted because they more or less represent exits from the motorway. In the UK, people will give directions for a certain attraction or village by saying: "follow the Kendal turnoff" etc.

BTW Chris1491, do you have some sort of connection with Carlisle?

Well, the M6 in that area goes through relatively remote areas, with very few places of importance. But i think, if you want to sign those places, at least add one city in the Liverpool - Manchester conurbation.

I like the way they pick destinations for signs in Germany. Normally only 100.000+ cities, and if there aren't much of those, a regional city, but definatly not cities with population under 40.000. Those are important enough to sign only on the exit signs, and maybe at the last exit before the actual exit.
Again, signage is ment for those who are unknown in the area. And if you unknown, you want to know the directions to nearby large cities, not small towns.

I have no connection with Carlisle at all, i just picked this picture to show how the picking of destinations should go in my opinion.

[flying tackle]

fuckin hell, i cannot beleive some of these people, nutshell for example....? are you some kind of arsehole? mate, were talkin motorways here, things that arent good looking remember, we use them to get from a to b, and we will build what is necessary for the public. so stop having a tantrum over our motorways claiming theyre not big enough when we have a perfectly good transport system...and an all round better country than the netherlands which will soon be underwater! hahahaha!

[Prestonian]

Originally Posted by Chris1491

For some reason, Britain tends to sign like villages on a very important axe as the M6.


I'd rather see the following destinations (not nessecary in German style, but i don't have another program to draw such signs)

In fairness that sign is actually very useful. For starters Penrith and Kendal are fairly large towns and not villages. Secondly Penrith is considered a gateway to the central Lake District and anybody heading to the Lakes would know where to exit the motorway. Kendal is for the South Lakes. You may not consider them large enough places to have a sign but it is much more useful when you are reading a map to have the small places indicated along the way so you know where to exit.

This is proved by 'Brough' which is indeed a very tiny village but which sits on the A66 which is one of the main routes from east to west in the area and is an important marker for travellers following their route on a map. Anyone going to newcastle would know they were going the right way if they went through Brough. Also there are several routes to Newcastle and signposting them all as 'Newcastle' is confusing and unhelpful if you are trying to follow a specific route. Not all travellers head for the large cities so it is very helpful and informative to have smaller places named along the way.

My point in summary is that names are not just listed by size but instead by their importance/usefulness to travellers.

I live in Preston which is a smallish city of average significance, but it is often signposted further south as it is a well known marker for main routes heading further north to the Lakes/Scotland.

[ChrisZwolle]

Originally Posted by flying tackle

fuckin hell, i cannot beleive some of these people, nutshell for example....? are you some kind of arsehole? mate, were talkin motorways here, things that arent good looking remember, we use them to get from a to b, and we will build what is necessary for the public. so stop having a tantrum over our motorways claiming theyre not big enough when we have a perfectly good transport system...and an all round better country than the netherlands which will soon be underwater! hahahaha!

I'm apologizing for not being only halleluja towards the UK

@ Prestonian:

What you say makes some sense. But i would sign at least one large city to the south like Manchester or Liverpool then.

[Nephasto]

Indeed that signaling is really weird.
I totally agree with Chris.

[Maxx☢Power]

Originally Posted by flying tackle

fuckin hell, i cannot beleive some of these people, nutshell for example....? are you some kind of arsehole? mate, were talkin motorways here, things that arent good looking remember, we use them to get from a to b, and we will build what is necessary for the public. so stop having a tantrum over our motorways claiming theyre not big enough when we have a perfectly good transport system...and an all round better country than the netherlands which will soon be underwater! hahahaha!

[shoreditchpete]

Lets have a few more photos of British Motorways and expressways.

[Republica]

To reiterate whats already been said, the stats do not equate to the reality of driving on a British road. We are constantly reminded by the media of how our country is shit in every way, yet my experience of reality is the total opposite.

From experience of driving in Spain, i can tell you that some of the new 'motorway' classified roads in spain are much worse in virtually every way than many dual carriageways that are all over the UK. There are many, many roads which are up to motorway standard apart from access regulations that arent included on the original map, and as said previously this is the case due to local driver considerations.

As for the signage, we have a different philosophy when it comes to them. When you are on a motorway, you tend to know whether you need to go north south east or west, or the nearest city in the direction you want to go - why have a sign for somewhere hours drive away? The only exception i can think is signs for London on the M1 and A1.

[CborG]

Originally Posted by Republica

To reiterate whats already been said, the stats do not equate to the reality of driving on a British road. We are constantly reminded by the media of how our country is shit in every way, yet my experience of reality is the total opposite.

So your experience of the british roads is the bestever in every way?

From experience of driving in Spain, i can tell you that some of the new 'motorway' classified roads in spain are much worse in virtually every way than many dual carriageways that are all over the UK.

Yeah right, name one new spanish motorway (autopista or -via) with a roundabout

There are many, many roads which are up to motorway standard apart from access regulations that arent included on the original map, and as said previously this is the case due to local driver considerations.

So when driving there, on a 2x2 road with hard shoulders (minimum motorway standard) i can expect, tractors, bikes, same grade crossings, traffic lights, roundabouts, variable speed limits and stuff like that? Don't you think that's the reason why they don't appear as motorways on a map? Those acces regulations are what makes a motorway a motorway. No limited acces, no motorway.
It could also be that when i drive around in Britain I stumble upon a shiny superfast motorway connection while it's displayed as some local road on the map?
When making a map they (Michelin, Falkplan etc) usually use satellite imagery to determine if a road has the qualifications for a certain line to be used. usually; red-yellow-red: Motorway, red-white-red: 2x2 road with acces regulation and no same grade crossings, but sometimes no shoulders, more and sharper bends, shorter acceslanes etc andred-black stripe-red: just a like a normal road but with 2 lanes per direction. Clear and simple.

As for the signage, we have a different philosophy when it comes to them. When you are on a motorway, you tend to know whether you need to go north south east or west, or the nearest city in the direction you want to go - why have a sign for somewhere hours drive away? The only exception i can think is signs for London on the M1 and A1.

I guess every Brit know which city is where in the country?

BtW, I also think the dutch signage and roads are the best because they are and i'm used to it, other countries have weird roads and funny language, they suck not really objective. But it's the truth!

[Llanfairpwllgwy-ngyllgogerychwy-rndrobwllllanty-siliogogogoch]

Originally Posted by flying tackle

fuckin hell, ...and an all round better country than the netherlands which will soon be underwater! hahahaha!

Sure, I believe it is not Holland but your country that is underwater.
And yes the UK is a much better country, stay there !!!!!!

[shoreditchpete]

Here is a map from the excellent cbrd.co.uk website which shows British motorways alongside dual carriageways of a motorway standard

[Napo]

Originally Posted by shoreditchpete

UK's motorways are great

[Republica]

Originally Posted by CborG

So your experience of the british roads is the bestever in every way?

You want an argument or something? quite a bizarre reply to my original sentence where i simply said that the roads are nowhere near as bad as some would say!

Chillax

[CborG]

What's so bizarre about? You are stating something and i react, that's bizarre to you?

First you don't like the mild negative opinions on british roads from other people and immediatly after that you do the same thing by saying: "i can tell you that some of the new 'motorway' classified roads in spain are much worse in virtually every way."

I simply said that the roads are nowhere near as bad as some would say!

Oh please, you didn't just say, ''nowhere near as bad''; this sentence: ''the stats do not equate to the reality of driving on a British road. We areconstantly reminded by the media of how our country is shit in every way, yet my experience of reality is the total opposite.''
So:
The reality of driving on a british road:

according to media: Country is shit in every way
According to you: my experience of reality is the total opposite

Quite a difference in opinion, the total opposite of shit in every way IMO is the best of the best in every way. I see no reason for asking arguments about that because it's already clear to me that you have absolutely no clue what you are talking about and it's no use to go in discussion about this untill you
I respect your opinion but it ain't worth much at all, especially when you put a smiley behind it. It makes your statements look like some lame attempt to have a opinion based on a limited knowledge, do you even take yourself serious?

Sorry i'm a bit pissed about it but i hate those 'dooddoeners' (can't find a proper english word for it.) ah forget it..

[ChrisZwolle]

Platitude?