Photo of the Month

All times are UTC [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 36 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Author Message
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 22:51 
Online
Assistant Site Manager
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2002 01:19
Posts: 18867
Location: Stockport, Cheshire
Glom wrote:
WHBM wrote:
By the spread of VMS message boards which just display pointless messages but now get mentioned in every road scheme press release, and suck up a good amount of the cost, I can only conclude that the VMS manufacturers have somehow managed to get compromising photographs of the top guy at the DfT.

You mean Theresa Villiers?

Justine Greening, shurely?

Has anyone ever actually tried to investigate whether the rollout of VMS actually delivers value for money? :scratchchin:

_________________
"Just as the private car is the embodiment of the concept of freedom, in metal and rubber, so the speed bump represents in tarmac the essence of regulation, nannying and political interference." (Tom Utley)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 23:08 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2002 11:01
Posts: 2881
Location: Herts
PeterA5145 wrote:
Glom wrote:
WHBM wrote:
By the spread of VMS message boards which just display pointless messages but now get mentioned in every road scheme press release, and suck up a good amount of the cost, I can only conclude that the VMS manufacturers have somehow managed to get compromising photographs of the top guy at the DfT.

You mean Theresa Villiers?

Justine Greening, shurely?

Has anyone ever actually tried to investigate whether the rollout of VMS actually delivers value for money? :scratchchin:


It certainly didn't the other week, when there was a failing to warn at any point south of Catterick that the A66 toward Appleby was best avoided (and thus lost were any points in which to have gone a different route)...

_________________
words go here


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 06:52 
Offline
Member

Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 18:26
Posts: 2154
Location: South Notts
Tinpusher wrote:
Should have opened the capital spend coffers much earlier IMHO to stimulate private sector growth. It's one thing saying "we're for growth, and expecting the private sector to simple agree and invest...It's another thing to acctually go ahead and do it!" Here's hoping.


Isn't that how the A46 got dualled - wasn't supposed to start to 2015, then the previous government decided it would be an economic stimulator, and it officially opened yesterday :)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 07:28 
Offline
Member

Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2007 18:05
Posts: 2221
Location: Cambridgeshire
c2R wrote:
the houses on the w/b A14 slips have all been boarded up though, so they'll probably be removed in the near shortly....


I noticed that the other day - is it part of the upgrade works or just coincidence?

It's interesting to see options such as free-flowing the roundabouts and using the A428 west of Girton. I think it should be possible to solve the main problems with something a lot less ambitious than the previous £1+ billion scheme.

In particular, routing east-west traffic via the A428 west of Girton combined with some sort of new build to the west of the current modern dual carriageway section looks very attractive as the route is half-built to a high standard anyway. With more traffic just flowing straight through east-west between the A14 and current A428, that should take the pressure off any need for an expensive upgrade of Girton as well, I suspect.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 09:45 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2002 11:01
Posts: 2881
Location: Herts
The big problem is that the A1 in this area is totally, well, inadequate for modern traffic flows; so even if the A428 was improved to the A1, I don't think it will solve the problems we're looking at with the A14; other than if the A1198 was dualled, with a Huntingdon southern bypass to link at Brampton Hut. But by doing that, you're creating a new major transport corridor, when realistically the existing A14 line should be used for the widening, with A1 improvements also.

Effectively, the through traffic needs separating from the local traffic, and none of the ideas about improving bus services or park and ride facilites are going to make any difference. I'd be in favour of on line widening the lot, with free flow junctions at each end. And for people to argue that it would increase pollution in Huntingdon, it's no different surely to the M6 traffic levels through Birmingham. And it goes past a bloody great landfill site anyway, so it's not exactly a rural idyll....

_________________
words go here


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 11:19 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed May 29, 2002 21:10
Posts: 11199
Location: Sandwell
As I mentioned previously the A428 route would solve almost everything. In particular it would separate N-S and E-W traffic flows, avoid doing anything to Girton and half the A428 is already dualled. All that needs doing is dualling west of the A1198 and upgrading the A1 between St Neots and the A14 to a GSJ'd D3. That would be far less costly than the £1bn scheme and provide the same benefits.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 20:32 
Offline
Member

Joined: Fri May 13, 2005 15:58
Posts: 134
Location: Ely
^^^ What he said.

When I lived just west of Peterborough, I'd often use the A428 / B660 to go home rather than the A14. Separating out EW and NS traffic is the way to go, surely.

_________________
Visit my site for photography, astronomy, free mobile themes and more!
My new Android blog - The Green Robot!
Low cost server and network monitoring from Keep Alive


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 08:18 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2002 11:01
Posts: 2881
Location: Herts
I believe in the separation of long distance motor traffic from local traffic; and while any sort of construction would be an improvement, neither NS or EW traffic should be mixing with the local road network here, let alone with non-motorised traffic or property accesses!

_________________
words go here


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 09:27 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2001 13:30
Posts: 4336
Location: Birmingham, England
PeterA5145 wrote:
Glom wrote:
You mean Theresa Villiers?

Justine Greening, shurely?
Theresa Villiers is Roads minister. Justine Greening is SoS for Transport. Both are "top dog", sort of, depending on definition.

_________________
Moseley Rugby - http://www.moseleyrugby.co.uk
...... EDF Trophy winners 2009; "Onwards and Upwards" ......


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 13:02 
Offline
Member

Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 19:01
Posts: 3221
Location: London
Regarding the VMS, will it have enough characters to display "YOUR ROAD TAXES WERE SQUANDERED ON THIS SIGN" ?


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 13:31 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu May 03, 2012 12:32
Posts: 73
Location: Wiltshire
WHBM wrote:
Regarding the VMS, will it have enough characters to display "YOUR ROAD TAXES WERE SQUANDERED ON THIS SIGN" ?


:laugh: Sometimes, I wish this board had a "Like" button!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 13:52 
Offline
Member

Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2007 20:31
Posts: 958
Location: Wolverhampton, [insert county here]
WHBM wrote:
Regarding the VMS, will it have enough characters to display "YOUR ROAD TAXES WERE SQUANDERED ON THIS SIGN" ?


As long as they spend a few quid more and, next to the signs, have a map of what was going to be the re-built Girton Interchange and underneath "This is what you could've won!"

_________________
The M5: Because The Middle Lane Is The Best Lane!*

Mandatory 55mph limit on the middle lane in use 24 hours a day


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 14:58 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2004 16:06
Posts: 6794
Location: Manchester
geo449 wrote:
"This is what you could've won!"

"I live in Birmingham. Where am I going to be able to use a speed boat?"


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 18:55 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2005 14:39
Posts: 2423
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk
nowster wrote:
"I live in Birmingham. Where am I going to be able to use a speed boat?"


That particular city has more canals than Venice, you know...


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:19 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed May 29, 2002 21:10
Posts: 11199
Location: Sandwell
A speed boat will be uesless on the local canals - you'd hit a submerged shopping trolley before too long :laugh:


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A14 sticking-plaster improvements to begin
PostPosted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 17:31 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:58
Posts: 116
Location: Pendle, Lancashire
Truvelo wrote:
A speed boat will be uesless on the local canals - you'd hit a submerged shopping trolley before too long :laugh:


We're getting them out as quickly as we can. :)

Last year we got 16 'pound in slot' ones from a lock near Spaghetti Junction. They were all chained together as the wall fastening for the coin release key had been broken. Took 15 bods and 8 grapnels to do it.

Should make it clear I don't work for British Waterways / Canal and River Trust but instead voluteer for a weekend clean-up each year.

( Oh and the other year we found a cable running under the M6 bridge near J10 that had dropped in the canal. Could have been fun if a boat had caught it! :o )


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 36 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

All times are UTC [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: B5254dude, PeterA5145, Was92now625 and 13 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group