We all know places where the posted directions are not the best way to get somewhere, usually because we have local knowledge. Near where I live the Authorities have posted a set of signs for a diversion which they must know is so far from being the best way that it must have been done on purpose.

Brynglas Tunnels, on the M4 between jcts 25 and 26, have long caused a bottleneck, because the 3-lane motorway is reduced to 2 lanes. As one approaches, from East or West, lane 1 is dropped, to take local traffic only, leaving lanes 2 and 3 to pass through the tunnel.

To try to alleviate the congestion, particularly if there was a big match at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff which would bring many strangers to the area, diversions would be signed around the tunnels particularly for football traffic. For instance, Westbound traffic could leave just before the tunnels, travel 1/2 mile South, return 1/2 mile North and rejoin M4 beyond the tunnel. It could also leave at the same place and turn North, then come back and rejoin, but this second diversion was about 6 miles in total, and much worse. No-one who actually knew the local roads would ever have taken the Northern diversion.

The diversion signs to direct traffic off the motorway to avoid the tunnel are still in place, but the only diversion now shown is the Northern one. In other words, the traffic planners are deliberately sending traffic on what they know to be the worse of the two possible reasonable diversions, and removed all mention of the better one.

Is this common practice? Does anyone have other examples of a diversion which deliberately misleads road users?

Not a diversion, but in Honiton, traffic for Cullompton is signed along the A373, but coming in from the A35 (south east), you're signed to turn right, onto the A30 (also passing under the road you want to go on), back into town, up through the town centre and turn left onto the A373.

The entire route of the A1 around Newcastle used to be deliberately the wrong way. The route to the tyne tunnel is still signed so that drivers take the long way around.

i.e. The A1 used to go up the A194(M) then turn right on the A184 then left at Testo's roundabout on the A19. Now this is a big dog leg off to the east.

Locals always just go straight on on the A194 to cut off the corner.

This may be a possible one- from Worcester, Tenbury is signed via the A443. The B4204 is signed to 'Martley'.

But after Martley, the road is signed to Tenbury- and it is the most direct route, but probably the most unsuitable for HGVs.

In reverse, the B4204 is signed from Tenbury as 'Clifton'. It is in Clifton- the Tenbury side of Martley- that the Worcester signs appear.

Isn't that because there was one less roundabout to negotiate via the
dog leg.

Yes, and a short section of D1 over a bridge too. Still, the A194 route is some 1.2miles shorter than the A184/A19 route.

That's disgusting. I know the area and I can visualise the route (via Woodlands roundabout at the top of Malpas) and realise that it's a **** of a long way round. Malpas Road may be an urban D2 but it's also a residential road with shops and other businesses along its length, not good for the endless procession of coaches you get on match days. Why did they even contemplate such a route?

My choice of diversion to get past Newport would be to leave at J24, take the A48 ex A455 to the south of the city centre and continue on the A48 (the posted route for football coaches to Cardiff) or rejoin the motorway at J28 for places further west. (I have taken this route many times myself when traffic has looked thick west of J24.) The off-motorway length is greater but I would reckon the overall distance between the junctions is slightly shortened by this route.

P.S. AlanP Whereabouts are you?

I always wondered why they did that...

I,m in Newport, so know the area well, but it seems to me that in these days when we (or at least the lower orders) are being dissuaded from moving around to leave space for our betters, diversions and semi-permanent alternative routes should not be longer than necessary. Do "Holiday Routes" still exist? I can't remember seeing any for a long while.

As far as I'm aware the HR system was phased out in the 1990s - the HR signs on the A40/A449 corridor approaching Wales have finally been painted over I believe.

Kentish Road is closed from the A1000, and there is a diversion in place. Which route do you think it is? Well, because the side roads up the A1000 have weight limits, traffic has to go up the A1000, past the A1001 TOTSO and presumably (I didn't see the rest of the diversion from the bus route) past the railway station, along the A414 and back down towards Essendon.

Interestingly, the A194/A19 roundabout at Jarrow has no signals, so turning towards Gateshead from the Tunnel in the evening is almost impossible as there is little or no break in traffic heading towards Shields, which comes round quick and blind. I think at times like that, the official route is arguably quicker.

The A45 in Northampton. It's impossible to stay on the A45 by following the signs. You get dumped on the M6 with no indication of what do to next.

Chris.

Don't you mean the M1? I presume you mean here.

That's because the A45 now multiplexes with the M1 to J15. As does the A43.

The signs for the B1040 at Eltisley have had Biggleswade patched over, presumably to encourage people to use the A428/A1 instead.


Similarly the nearby A4112 from Leominster is signed Leysters with the intention of making Tenbury traffic use the A49/A456.

There are lots of other examples of using obscure destinations to deter through traffic.

M42 J2 has had Redditch patched over, sending traffic the longer way to J3 instead. The roundabout ADS still shows A441 Redditch though.

So what was the point of building that over engineered D2 south of J2 then?

Because they are numpties! It wasnt even primary when it opened. The plan was for the Bordsely bypass to fill in the gap, but this never happened.

Last year (June 2006) whilst heading along everyones favourite section
of the A14 I thought I noticed the B1040 still signed Biggleswade.


An interesting place for this is Banbury where the largest place signed
from it NOT on the M40 is Brackley (A422) or Daventry (A361).
The roads are signed as follows:
A423 Southam
A422 (W) Wroxton
A361 (S) Bloxham
A4260 Adderbury
B4100 Warmington
B4035 Broughton

Everywhere else (Coventry, Warwick, Stratford, Oxford etc) and you
are directed straight onto the M40.