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It does seem bizarre that the A6 gets a crummy T-junction yet the unbuilt Poynton Bypass has that gigantic sausageabout monstrosity.
The A6 junction is likely just temporary until they decide on the M60 extension, remember the small roundabout at the Bramhall end of the A555, not so small now! The Poynton Bypass is happening (soon) so that is why they built that junction the way it is, and I think they have massively underestimated the traffic that will pour onto the A555 from Macclesfield when the link does open!
The junction could be remodelled as a GSJ with the A555 mainline continuing as the bypass.
"The 50mph speed limit on the majority of the A555 stems from the design characteristics of parts of the road which incorporate vertical and horizontal features which are not commensurate with a design speed higher than 50mph."
"The 50mph speed limit on the majority of the A555 stems from the design characteristics of parts of the road which incorporate vertical and horizontal features which are not commensurate with a design speed higher than 50mph."
They're called traffic lights.
You don't see horizontal traffic lights very often in this country!
"If you expect nothing from somebody you are never disappointed." - Sylvia Plath
With the constant congestion in High Lane I'm wondering whether it might have been better if they had kept the original route of the A6 as the main road, with the bypass section just being used for A555 traffic. Or even have both the old and new road as one way roads for each direction?
To be fair, (as I always am !), I'm glad that this road finally goes somewhere, but a bit frustrated that it could have been a lot better. My main gripe now is the signalised roundabout at the A34 which seems designed to stop movement, rather than facilitate it. Going from A34 South to A555 East last Sunday involve stopping at all three sets of traffic lights. This can't be right, surely ?
fras wrote: ↑Thu Nov 22, 2018 21:46
To be fair, (as I always am !), I'm glad that this road finally goes somewhere, but a bit frustrated that it could have been a lot better. My main gripe now is the signalised roundabout at the A34 which seems designed to stop movement, rather than facilitate it. Going from A34 South to A555 East last Sunday involve stopping at all three sets of traffic lights. This can't be right, surely ?
That's not unlike certain movements around both the Portwood and Pyramid roundabouts in Stockport, a pain, but it appears to be necessary.
montyburns56 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 22, 2018 19:59
With the constant congestion in High Lane I'm wondering whether it might have been better if they had kept the original route of the A6 as the main road, with the bypass section just being used for A555 traffic. Or even have both the old and new road as one way roads for each direction?
The problem seems to be coming from the lights where they diverge, you'd still need a junction so I doubt it would've made much difference. The question is why it has messed up High Lane so badly. It was always bad earlier on in the rush hour but this "improvement" has made things so much worse.
montyburns56 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 22, 2018 19:59
With the constant congestion in High Lane I'm wondering whether it might have been better if they had kept the original route of the A6 as the main road, with the bypass section just being used for A555 traffic. Or even have both the old and new road as one way roads for each direction?
The problem seems to be coming from the lights where they diverge, you'd still need a junction so I doubt it would've made much difference. The question is why it has messed up High Lane so badly. It was always bad earlier on in the rush hour but this "improvement" has made things so much worse.
Perhaps they could at least eliminate the lights at the junction with the East end of Buxton Road and turn it into a Give Way as I can't imagine that there is much traffic coming from Buxton Road that needs to turn right onto the A6.
montyburns56 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 23, 2018 20:12
Perhaps they could at least eliminate the lights at the junction with the East end of Buxton Road and turn it into a Give Way as I can't imagine that there is much traffic coming from Buxton Road that needs to turn right onto the A6.
Might help, or might just move the traffic to the A6 / A555 junction, but since that's got two lanes it should be able to get more through (I assume that's why it has two lanes, although people seem oddly reluctant to use the right-hand one despite piling in to the right-hand lane further along at the Rising Sun junction). I'm also assuming that the A6 / A555 lights and the High Lane lights would create enough gaps to make getting to and from the old alignment not too much of a nightmare.
The works on the A34 at the two roundabouts at Stanley Green have now been completed, with all the signals in operation and - hooray - a more reasonable 40 limit applying compared with the previous absurd 30
There's still a temporary 50 on the original NSL section of the A555, though, although there don't seem to be any kind of roadworks still being carried out.
“The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire.” – Robert A. Heinlein
PeterA5145 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 02, 2018 14:54
The works on the A34 at the two roundabouts at Stanley Green have now been completed, with all the signals in operation and - hooray - a more reasonable 40 limit applying compared with the previous absurd 30
PeterA5145 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 02, 2018 14:54
The works on the A34 at the two roundabouts at Stanley Green have now been completed, with all the signals in operation and - hooray - a more reasonable 40 limit applying compared with the previous absurd 30
But didn't it used to be 50 before?
No, previously there was an extended 30 on either side of the Stanley Green roundabout, in the southbound direction extending about 300 yards before you reached the roundabout, which was pretty much universally ignored. For the first few years after the road was opened, it was , which meant this was an example where you could once have legally driven at 70 on a road that was later reduced to 30.
“The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire.” – Robert A. Heinlein
I had a look at the junction with shadowmoss road and the former ringway road yesterday - anyone know why they’ve made it a mini roundabout? It’s just a left hand turn with no other arms...
martin2345uk wrote: ↑Tue Dec 11, 2018 12:24
I had a look at the junction with shadowmoss road and the former ringway road yesterday - anyone know why they’ve made it a mini roundabout? It’s just a left hand turn with no other arms...
There's a trend for using conventional roundabouts instead of a bend where the alignment won't allow a proper radius and it's seen as a safe way of allowing the turns. Here it's just seemingly just laziness and refusal to widen the corner to 20m radius which would have been sufficient and probably possible within highway land.
Bryn Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already. She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
martin2345uk wrote: ↑Tue Nov 13, 2018 13:19
They still haven’t cleaned the grey masking paint off some of the signs on the new road...
I used it for the first time yesterday at about 16:30..
* They still haven't cleaned off the grey masking paint from all the signs
* there is no signage to indicate speed limit on the good (older) A555 section in the middle, and no evidence of work being carried out/temporary signs
* The signage at the airport end is terrible - it's only when you're right at the roundabout in the centre of the airport that you get the green signs to tell you that you can carry on - nothing on the M56 and more importantly, nothing to tell you which of the four lanes to be in
* The airport roundabout was severely congested - although this may have been owing to the collision on the westbound approach
* Lots of traffic from the motorway turned off left into Bramhall
* Traffic to turn right at the eastern end into High Lane was queued up for literally miles, practically to the Poynton sausage-about; and the A6 through High Lane and Disley was as bad as I've ever seen it.
I suspect that traffic patterns in the area have changed considerably as a result, particularly in High Lane and Bramhall. I think that High Lane and Disley definitely need bypasses as part of any additional A6 schemes - I know the estimated traffic flows report prior to construction said that they would be negatively impacted by the airport link road, but I didn't think it was going to be quite as bad as it was last night.
c2R wrote: ↑Thu Dec 20, 2018 09:50
I suspect that traffic patterns in the area have changed considerably as a result, particularly in High Lane and Bramhall. I think that High Lane and Disley definitely need bypasses as part of any additional A6 schemes - I know the estimated traffic flows report prior to construction said that they would be negatively impacted by the airport link road, but I didn't think it was going to be quite as bad as it was last night.
A new road's been built that's made a mess of things, so more new roads? You don't paint an appealing picture of the future around High Lane and Disley.
The odd thing to my mind is that it turned to rubbish as soon as the road opened, leaving me wondering if some light timings were changed. The (new) lights that it's all backing up from were in use for quite a while before it opened without causing as much trouble.
c2R wrote: ↑Thu Dec 20, 2018 09:50
I suspect that traffic patterns in the area have changed considerably as a result, particularly in High Lane and Bramhall. I think that High Lane and Disley definitely need bypasses as part of any additional A6 schemes - I know the estimated traffic flows report prior to construction said that they would be negatively impacted by the airport link road, but I didn't think it was going to be quite as bad as it was last night.
A new road's been built that's made a mess of things, so more new roads? You don't paint an appealing picture of the future around High Lane and Disley.
The odd thing to my mind is that it turned to rubbish as soon as the road opened, leaving me wondering if some light timings were changed. The (new) lights that it's all backing up from were in use for quite a while before it opened without causing as much trouble.
A bypass down to Chapel-en-le-Frith is going to be needed one day. Especially if the link to the M60 is completed.
Bryn Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already. She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
c2R wrote: ↑Thu Dec 20, 2018 09:50
I suspect that traffic patterns in the area have changed considerably as a result, particularly in High Lane and Bramhall. I think that High Lane and Disley definitely need bypasses as part of any additional A6 schemes - I know the estimated traffic flows report prior to construction said that they would be negatively impacted by the airport link road, but I didn't think it was going to be quite as bad as it was last night.
A new road's been built that's made a mess of things, so more new roads? You don't paint an appealing picture of the future around High Lane and Disley.
The odd thing to my mind is that it turned to rubbish as soon as the road opened, leaving me wondering if some light timings were changed. The (new) lights that it's all backing up from were in use for quite a while before it opened without causing as much trouble.
A bypass down to Chapel-en-le-Frith is going to be needed one day. Especially if the link to the M60 is completed.
Another bleak, unpleasant view of the future. Just for once it would be nice to hear something that doesn't make me hope I'm hit by a bus on the way home.
Helvellyn wrote: ↑Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:00
A new road's been built that's made a mess of things, so more new roads? You don't paint an appealing picture of the future around High Lane and Disley.
The odd thing to my mind is that it turned to rubbish as soon as the road opened, leaving me wondering if some light timings were changed. The (new) lights that it's all backing up from were in use for quite a while before it opened without causing as much trouble.
A bypass down to Chapel-en-le-Frith is going to be needed one day. Especially if the link to the M60 is completed.
Another bleak, unpleasant view of the future. Just for once it would be nice to hear something that doesn't make me hope I'm hit by a bus on the way home.
The alternative is you round up everyone who wanted to live in an inaccessible valley region and shoot them of course
Bryn Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already. She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
A bypass down to Chapel-en-le-Frith is going to be needed one day. Especially if the link to the M60 is completed.
Another bleak, unpleasant view of the future. Just for once it would be nice to hear something that doesn't make me hope I'm hit by a bus on the way home.
The alternative is you round up everyone who wanted to live in an inaccessible valley region and shoot them of course
What? There have been people living there for a long time. All that such plans and "progress" achieve is making it a more unpleasant place to live.
Bear in mind that I travel that way down the A6 every day, so one of the people who'll presumably be supposed to "benefit" from this. It might make the area more functional. It certainly won't make it more pleasant to live in.
, which meant this was an example where you could once have legally driven at 70 on a road that was later reduced to 30.
