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Gordon_M wrote: ↑Mon Dec 31, 2018 09:24
I had my first look at the Cleanhill roundabout yesterday, and I'm not particularly impressed. I was approaching it at speed, up a slight rise, and it is relatively flat and not really visible until you are right on top of it.
Of course there is a big green roundabout sign as you approach it, but you have been passing very similar signs for every junction, and if you don't notice that this one says roundabout instead ...
The tracks where that large truck had gone right over the top of it were clearly evident, and the powers that be had at least put one of those trailer-mounted illuminated signs on the approach to highlight it a bit. Presumably the other approaches have them too.
Should have been grade separated I think.
Notice that they have now erected a portable VMS sign with the message "SLOW DOWN - NEW ROUNDABOUT AHEAD".
Sited directly underneath the permanent sign which still hasn't been switched on yet.
Maybe if the Designer had read Chapter 4 of the Traffic Signs Manual, there would be Roundabout Ahead Warning signs, with ‘1/2 mile’ distance sub-plates.
I’m tempted to fire off an FOI for a copy of the Stage 3 RSA.
To be fair the roundabout is quite small despite having three dual carriageway exits. While there are numerous other examples of roundabouts like this, they tend to be quite congested during peak times because of a lack of lanes on the approaches to the roundabout. Larger roundabouts provide sufficient space for additional lanes both on them and on approach.
That roundabout has so many fundamental issues - signage, politics/design choice, and its actual structure to boot. It almost seems to be an M42-A42 or A4232 Eastern Link situation where perhaps to save costs, or perhaps for purely political reasons, the splaying of the carriageway is almost nonexistent. This gives you the late braking panic as drivers realise the roundabout curvature is much tighter than the approach; entry path drifting between the two lanes; severe entry path drifting for HGVs in lane 2; and no option for future flyover, hence my statement about politics and relation to the East Bay Link.
What an incredible s**tshow. It can only be that the money ran out or nobody could think of a better way to interchange a D2 in a grade separated form despite thousands of existing junctions to study.
It being too late to rip the thing out and grade separate it (in twenty years time someone will probably start the long, long process of modifying it after the fact, wasting more money than was saved in the first place), it needs rumble strips and perhaps permanent speed-sensing 'SLOW' signs like the M32. Also whoever approved it should probably be knocked down to office admin. Seriously - I'm a wannabe and I can see that this was going to be universally panned from day 1.
A simple grade-separated fork (with no access between the Fastlink and the A956) was proposed as an alternative, but was rejected. I think a grade-separated roundabout on the A90 for access to the A956 was also proposed. At least some of the documents are still available online.
Rumble strips are to be added to the Cleanhill roundabout approaches. To be honest, I'm surprised these weren't installed in the first place, as it seems to be quite common on high speed dual carriageways on the approach to roundabouts.
orudge wrote: ↑Fri Jan 18, 2019 12:29Rumble strips are to be added to the Cleanhill roundabout approaches. To be honest, I'm surprised these weren't installed in the first place, as it seems to be quite common on high speed dual carriageways on the approach to roundabouts.
Better late than never I suppose.
Do you think that the decision to add rumble strips now was primarily down to the lorry careering onto the centre of the roundabout a few weeks ago?
It could be worse - at least it is a fairly small amount of work rather than a complete rethink requiring months of work.
I drove part of the AWPR* for the first time today, the stretch from the A956 roundabout to Stonehaven.
The biggest impression it made on me was what a total and utter boll... botch job the Stonehaven junction is, especially southbound.
I mean, you come bowling down the hill on the dual carriageway A90 to a big roundabout (dubious, but all right, if you insist, it's a fairly common occurrence in this part of the world...), then under a single carriageway-width overbridge, then you immediately sit at a set of traffic lights where you have to turn right onto a slip road, join the traffic on another dual carriageway and oh look, you're on your way on the A90 again.
I mean... I don't tend to get especially upset about this sort of stuff. I come here to read things out of passing interest, rather than having the required level of Sabristi-ism to be overly bothered about what the correct term is or what colour the signs are** But even I know that junction is a complete dog's breakfast. Who on earth let it happen?
* I don't know the proper name or terms. it's all just the AWPR to me.
** Although use of the word 'signalised' rather than the correct 'signalled' never fails to send my inner grammar pedant into apoplexy.
I passed by the Don bridge section on the way home yesterday and found it virtually deserted, with only the leavings of some barrier sections underneath next to the river. No sign of anyone doing anything, or anything left to do, short of tidying.
I'm surprised by the ongoing lack of information regarding the opening schedule of this last bit, and perhaps even more by the lack of an angry mob with torches pursuing such information - anyone have any thoughts or info?
When it is complete I expect to use it very little, if at all - I'm based near the centre of the city - but I do expect to benefit from a huge reduction in through traffic from Charleston through Bridge of Dee and all the way up Anderson Drive to the Haudagain roundabout.
Travel north and west through the Haudagain heading for the airport is always easier now, but city-bound south and east onto Anderson Drive southbound is still a pain, and I expect that will stay the same when the Don bridge section opens, as the current rat run round the Don bridge section goes up the Stoneywood road and surely contributes little to the Haudagain-bound queue.
Westie wrote: ↑Sun Jan 20, 2019 01:56
Is it me or is the stanza on speed restriction conveniently missing from literally *any* Special Road SSI to do with this project?
orudge wrote: ↑Fri Jan 18, 2019 12:29Rumble strips are to be added to the Cleanhill roundabout approaches. To be honest, I'm surprised these weren't installed in the first place, as it seems to be quite common on high speed dual carriageways on the approach to roundabouts.
Better late than never I suppose.
Do you think that the decision to add rumble strips now was primarily down to the lorry careering onto the centre of the roundabout a few weeks ago?
It could be worse - at least it is a fairly small amount of work rather than a complete rethink requiring months of work.
orudge wrote: ↑Fri Jan 18, 2019 12:29Rumble strips are to be added to the Cleanhill roundabout approaches. To be honest, I'm surprised these weren't installed in the first place, as it seems to be quite common on high speed dual carriageways on the approach to roundabouts.
Better late than never I suppose.
Do you think that the decision to add rumble strips now was primarily down to the lorry careering onto the centre of the roundabout a few weeks ago?
It could be worse - at least it is a fairly small amount of work rather than a complete rethink requiring months of work.
Another HGV on top of Cleanhill last night.
Wonder if the same people designed the equally flawed and regularly driven over A683 roundabout at Lancaster which also lacks advance warning signs and rumble strips despite having poor FSSD.
If yes then we have a useless designer on the loose on major projects.
If no then the DMRB is unfit for purpose and a menace to road safety.
Bryn Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already. She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
orudge wrote: ↑Fri Jan 18, 2019 12:29Rumble strips are to be added to the Cleanhill roundabout approaches. To be honest, I'm surprised these weren't installed in the first place, as it seems to be quite common on high speed dual carriageways on the approach to roundabouts.
Better late than never I suppose.
Do you think that the decision to add rumble strips now was primarily down to the lorry careering onto the centre of the roundabout a few weeks ago?
It could be worse - at least it is a fairly small amount of work rather than a complete rethink requiring months of work.
Another HGV on top of Cleanhill last night.
Well, if this week's overnight closures of the road to add the new rumble strips all go to plan then hopefully the third lorry to mount the roundabout will not do so for some time yet.
Euan wrote: ↑Tue Jan 22, 2019 11:44
Well, if this week's overnight closures of the road to add the new rumble strips all go to plan then hopefully the third lorry to mount the roundabout will not do so for some time yet.
I'm guessing next week sometime, or earlier if there's a flurry of snow ...
Apparently the actual construction work between Craibstone and Goval is now complete and it is only a wait for assurances that is keeping the road from finally opening.
