[GB] Motorways in the United Kingdom

[The Boy David]

Right guys, calm down.



Lets settle this once and for all.

Most UK motorways are 2x3 lanes. Most Motorways in Scotland are 2x2 - Scotland has a pop of only 5million - it doesn't need anything bigger for the most part.

2x2 lane Motorways ARE classed as motorways - the town I live in is close to both the M9, the M876 and the M90, all of which are mostly 2x2.

The UK has massive amounts of "A" roads - these are roads of near Motorway standard that do not quite meet the high level of requirements needed to be an "M" class road - this is always due to the fact that the Junction slip roads are not long enough. The lane width and safety measures are of "M" class standard.


Around the larger UK cities, the motorways can become very large. The M25 is almost permanently 2x4 and often goes up to 2x6 lanes. The figure quoted for the busiest section of road in the first page is erroneous: I don't have the exact figure, but it is WAY more than 193,000 : My home city of Glasgow is ELEVEN times SMALLER than London but at it's busiest, the M8 carries over 200,000 vehicles a day.


Speaking of the M8, it is often noted as the UK's most unusual motorway: it does, as Mr B said earlier, get up to 17 lanes of running traffic wide at one point, and contains more junctions per mile in the Glasgow City section than any other Motorway in the world.

Here are some pictures:

The view heading towards Glasgow on the Kingston Bridge - Europe's busiest River crossing with 186,000 vehicles per day (2x5 lanes):






The Canyon, heading towards the Kingston (2x3)








Massive section:







Some aerials:




Cathedral Junction - this is in the heart of the city:




The M8 through downtown and the Kingston Bridge:




The 3x3x3x3 lane stretch (soon to be expanded to include the M74)




17 lanes of Motorway traffic:



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So that is just a taster of Glasgow's "American" like motorway - there is a huge variety in motorway types throughout the UK, and while they may not be the best in the World, they are much better than people in this thread say they are.


Finally, how many countries have a motorway crossing like this?

The Forth Road Bridge, near Edinburgh, Scotland

[CborG]

Originally Posted by The Boy David

The view heading towards Glasgow on the Kingston Bridge - Europe's busiest River crossing with 186,000 vehicles per day (2x5 lanes)

Are you shure about that? The van Brienenoordbridge in Rotterdam is busier, with almost 250.000 vehicles per day on 4x3 lanes.
Nice pics btw!

[Jean Luc]

Great shots there Davie boy! Thanks for posting them.

What is the speed limit on the M8 through central Glasgow and over the Kingston Bridge? The Firth Road Bridge appears to have footpaths/cycleways on the sides. Is this correct? If so, it would make a great walk or bike ride!

[geogregor]

Originally Posted by Jean Luc

Great shots there Davie boy! Thanks for posting them.

What is the speed limit on the M8 through central Glasgow and over the Kingston Bridge? The Firth Road Bridge appears to have footpaths/cycleways on the sides. Is this correct? If so, it would make a great walk or bike ride!

Firth Road Bridge has footpaths/cycleways. It's great ride. I recomend it.

[isaidso]

What's the difference between a motorway and an expressway? The 401 Highway in Toronto is divided into highway and express lanes. The 6-8 inner lanes would be express lanes that only offer exits every 10 km or more, these lanes would bordered by another 6-10 lanes (3-5 lanes on each side) that are designated regular highway lanes offering much more frequent exit and access.

Is a British motorway like this Canadian highway, and a British expressway similar to Canadian expressway lanes?

[geogregor]

Originally Posted by isaidso

What's the difference between a motorway and an expressway? The 401 Highway in Toronto is divided into highway and express lanes. The 6-8 inner lanes would be express lanes that only offer exits every 10 km or more, these lanes would bordered by another 6-10 lanes (3-5 lanes on each side) that are designated regular highway lanes offering much more frequent exit and access.

Is a British motorway like this Canadian highway, and a British expressway similar to Canadian expressway lanes?

British expressway is almost like motorway in many cases.
There can be narrower hard shoulder or lack of it, junctions (exits) are usually more often, acceleration lanes may be shorter, curves can be shorter (higher angle).
Generally there are less strict characteristics for expressway.

[marrio415]

is this forum about slating the uk's motormay network.You know i'd love to have a go at some of you lot right now but i won't.I'm proud of my country and what we have got,in my eyes we are best in the world.I don't give a shit about what other countries have got or haven't got or how good or bad they are i don't care.But some of you slating things about my country when some of you quite clearly haven't been over here is bull s***.Our motorway network is quite good and investment in upgrading roads in the uk has grown.And to the person who so childishly quoted our small cars and country roads.get a life.

British til i die and proud of it

[marrio415]

Originally Posted by 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."



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..

you don't get what he's saying do ya.Right i shall say it fo you ok.The media in this country on anything always brings things down anything from the health service to celebrities.But the reality is most of what the media says is garbage i understand him.Where as i find most things in my country good the media always blows things out of proportion just to sell papers.I take it you have been to the UK

[CborG]

What are you trying to say? Whose talking about media?

[geogregor]

[ChrisZwolle]

Come on guys, this is a discussion forum, it means you can discuss either skyscrapers, or British motorways here, and it is not ment to only bring soviet-like propaganda-hallelujah about British motorways.

As far as i seen, nobody tried to bring British motorways down, only constructive discussion so far.

[marrio415]

Originally Posted by CborG

What are you trying to say? Whose talking about media?

look at the response you quoted and what he was trying to say

[Maxx☢Power]

Originally Posted by marrio415

is this forum about slating the uk's motormay network.You know i'd love to have a go at some of you lot right now but i won't.I'm proud of my country and what we have got,in my eyes we are best in the world.I don't give a shit about what other countries have got or haven't got or how good or bad they are i don't care.But some of you slating things about my country when some of you quite clearly haven't been over here is bull s***.Our motorway network is quite good and investment in upgrading roads in the uk has grown.And to the person who so childishly quoted our small cars and country roads.get a life.

British til i die and proud of it

Good for you! I didn't know motorways was such a sensitive subject in GB.

[The Boy David]

Originally Posted by MaxxPower

Good for you! I didn't know motorways was such a sensitive subject in GB.

It's not! The UK's motorways aren't the best in the world, but they aren't the worst either.

They do the job quite nicely, but not as well as many of the continental European motorway networks do it.

We have good motorways, good "expressways" or Arterial (A) roads as we call them, and more awesome, quaint country roads than you could shake a stick at.


So lighten up guys, and post more pics of UK Motorways! I've done my bit for Glasgow - anyone from Manchester or Birmingham going to pick up the baton?

[ChrisZwolle]

A74 (M)

[marrio415]

Originally Posted by MaxxPower

Good for you! I didn't know motorways was such a sensitive subject in GB.

it's not the motorways it's just people bashing em when some have clearly have never been to the uk thats what really irritates me.If they have been then yeah they can pick out the problems.Like anyone you defend your country on anything even if it is only about motorways.

[ElviS77]

Originally Posted by The Boy David

It's not! The UK's motorways aren't the best in the world, but they aren't the worst either.

Most certainly not in terms of safety: According to the latest European accident statistics, British roads are second only to Sweden.

[ChrisZwolle]

The overhead portals in the UK are considered the unsafest in the world, according to Dutch traffic experts. They're pillars are so massive, they'll kill you in a crash.

[The Boy David]

Yeah they're not the safest in the world, but the bulk of our motorway network is very old - built back when safety standards were much more relaxed.

However piece by piece the system is being upgraded - new sections of motorway are as safe as you'll get this side of the atlantic.


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Also, I don't understand why people think the signage on UK motorways is terrible - I've been to many European countries and numerous states in the US/ provinces in Canada and I think that UK road signs are easily amongst the clearest in the world.

Easily.

[Maxx☢Power]

Originally Posted by marrio415

it's not the motorways it's just people bashing em when some have clearly have never been to the uk thats what really irritates me.If they have been then yeah they can pick out the problems.Like anyone you defend your country on anything even if it is only about motorways.

Hehe, clearly not everyone caught the sarcasm in my comment, but I'm going to leave it at that as this is not the place for this kind of discussion.

What I think is the most impressive with motorways in GB is the amount of 3+3 roads. It seems like every time a see a photo of a motorway, it's 3+3, while the standard almost everywhere else in Europe is 2+2.. Was there enough traffic on these roads when they were built to warrant that many lanes, or was it a rare case of planning ahead?