The M5 in summer

[SteveA30]

Indeed, also on the A30 so, no-one can go that way this time. Watching....making plans....

'The M5 remains closed southbound between junctions 25 and 26 in Somerset after a motorcyclist was seriously injured when he came off his bike.

Police say it's likely the carriageway will remain closed beyond the morning peak time, and drivers are urged to consider delaying their journeys or use alternative routes.

Meanwhile the motorway is closed completely further south after Cullompton.

And those planning to divert onto the A30 should be aware that has now been closed too.'

[Jamesabout29]

Looks like J28-29 is still shut, as well as the A30. That’s quite a while that they’ve been shut for now, hopefully it’s not another fatality after last Friday

[DavidBrown]

Looks like J28-29 is still shut, as well as the A30. That’s quite a while that they’ve been shut for now, hopefully it’s not another fatality after last Friday

All now open, but sadly both were fatals, with the M5 one (without going into the somewhat distressing details on a family forum) being remarkably similar to the fatal at Taunton on Friday. Not been a good half term for the region so far.

[SteveA30]

3 at the same time, quite a quandary. Grim experience has shown that the fatal incidents are the longest closure and so it proved. BBC Devon and Somerset kept me informed. Taunton reopened 10.30am. A30 2pm and Cullompton 4pm.
Taking A35, A30, old A30 then u/c to Broad Clyst, revealed the curse of roadworks complicating things. The A30 accident seems to have been near the A303/A30 junction, blocking off that as a diversion via A30 to Chard. So A35 to Axminster then A358 to/from Ilminster was the route. Patching at Kilmington caused a 3 mile queue from the Honiton direction. OK heading west as the diverted HGV's came out of Axminster on the old A35, just at the roadworks signals site. So, Axminster was also affected by all this. Would have gone there had there not been another destination calling.

At Broad Clyst B3181, It was a convoy/long gap/convoy scenario, heading south. The town centre lights at Cullompton I guessed. Partly, but utility roadworks just after that created a bigger break in flow but, apparently causing the M5 to queue back to near Bridgwater, according to BBC Devon. They did have someone manually operating the lights though, to increase the flow southbound, a refreshing example of responding to an unexpected situation, instead of 'not our problem mate'.

Some came in from Willand via J27 but, there was a flood there and a second queue in to Cullompton . Some were heading via Tiverton and A396 to Exeter but that dumps you in the wrong side of Exeter. With Ilminster closed off, quite a predicament for everyone. At Pinhoe, on the outskirts of Exeter on the old A38, yep, more roadworks lights for a big housing development on both sides of the road, creating a new signalised crossroads. Yuk. It did allow time to look down from the bridge to an empty s/bnd M5 carriageway though. Freeflowing from Cullompton to there, the only flowing section anywhere apparently.

For a direct link from the present to the past, about the Pony and Trap in the middle picture, http://holidayroads.webs.com/a38memories.htm

[SteveA30]

Nag's Head bridge. For those who clicked the link in the previous post, and continued down to the green text, this will be a familiar name. It is also almost identical to the old A303 bridge at Wylye, at right angles to the railway. This spot and the narrow streets of Cullompton must have been why this bypass was top priority in 1969.

It may also be unique, in that both roads were A38. One was demoted to B3151 and the other promoted to M5.

[SteveA30]

Last 3 of only 95 taken, very slack.

[SteveA30]

Holiday time is here so, off to Costa Del Sol, Tenerife, Majorca, Florida, Greece, Spain, Bahamas, some laybys on the A38. The heatwave should result in a bumper (to bumper) crop. Today was quietish so, tomorrow looks like a record breaker. 6am start, folding chair, Costa coffee, food, sunhat, sorted. Less photos to take, as I've covered most of this area by now. Could be as few as 150.

6 more Saturdays to come after this one. Problem is north of Bristol or south? The M5 saturation brings back the old problem of how to get around Brizzle. Somerset seems the most attractive option this trip.

[Isleworth1961]

Looking forward (er, not) to the A38 southbound being jammed this weekend parallel to M5 (J14 to J16). Glad I managed to get to do my business in Yate and Filton today. I'd probably be stuck in the queues if I tried to get there tomorrow.

[jackal]

J15-J17 is still HSR rather than ALR isn't it? Converting and extending that (including through junctions) would be a step in the right direction. Braiding at Almondsbury would also help.

[Isleworth1961]

J15-J17 is still HSR rather than ALR isn't it? Converting and extending that (including through junctions) would be a step in the right direction. Braiding at Almondsbury would also help.

J15 to J17 is 'smart, variable speed limit' (whatever it is you want to call it). Having permanent four lanes might be a bit OTT for most of the year, it's just now it could help. Occasional tailbacks of shoppers exiting at J17 might mean widening would be required if they wanted to keep the southbound left lane for J17 only when in use. If they had deemed four lanes necessary I would have thought they would have done it at the last lot of changes completed about three years ago.

[Chris5156]

J15-J17 is still HSR rather than ALR isn't it? Converting and extending that (including through junctions) would be a step in the right direction. Braiding at Almondsbury would also help.

J15 to J17 is 'smart, variable speed limit' (whatever it is you want to call it). Having permanent four lanes might be a bit OTT for most of the year, it's just now it could help. Occasional tailbacks of shoppers exiting at J17 might mean widening would be required if they wanted to keep the southbound left lane for J17 only when in use. If they had deemed four lanes necessary I would have thought they would have done it at the last lot of changes completed about three years ago.

At the time that scheme was in planning - which would be more like five to seven years ago - all lane running was rarely considered and part-time hard shoulder running was the thing. If it were to be designed and built today it'd almost certainly just be four lanes. I strongly suspect Highways England are brewing up schemes to convert hard shoulder running sections like that to all lane running sooner or later, though it'll depend on funding.

[fras]

Just had a quick look at the Traffic England map. There's a lot of black and red ink in both directions south of Bristol. A typical summer Saturday, I suppose.

[jackal]

I strongly suspect Highways England are brewing up schemes to convert hard shoulder running sections like that to all lane running sooner or later, though it'll depend on funding.

There's at least one committed scheme in the West Midlands that'll do this.

[Jeni]

I strongly suspect Highways England are brewing up schemes to convert hard shoulder running sections like that to all lane running sooner or later, though it'll depend on funding.

There's at least one committed scheme in the West Midlands that'll do this.

Which one is this?

[jackal]

I strongly suspect Highways England are brewing up schemes to convert hard shoulder running sections like that to all lane running sooner or later, though it'll depend on funding.

There's at least one committed scheme in the West Midlands that'll do this.

Which one is this?

I think these were the schemes I was thinking of:

1. "M40 and M42 interchange: upgrading to smart motorway from junction 16 of the M40 and from junction 3 to 3a of the M42 including the introduction of all-lane running to the existing smart motorway section between junction 3 and 3a of the M42". I think J3-3A is 'controlled motorway' rather than dynamic HS, so not quite what we're talking about. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/majo ... e-midlands


2. "... as part of Phase 4 for the Birmingham Box Smart Motorway programme, consideration should be given to upgrading the existing Managed Motorway on the M42 to the newer All Lane Running standard (where the hard shoulder is permanently converted into a running lane). A completed network across the Hub will provide holistic management and maximise capacity of the existing assets". Phase 4 is a committed RIS2 scheme, but this aspect just seems to be a suggestion from Midlands Connect.
https://www.midlandsconnect.uk/media/11 ... 062018.pdf

I may have slightly overstated things but dynamic HS>ALR seems a realistic possibility under the second scheme at least.

[Jamesabout29]

Travelled North from J23 to J15 last Saturday morning (11th Aug) and aside from a very brief section of stop start immediately after joining, and another slow area on the split carriageway near J20 , it was pretty much all free flowing. It did get a lot busier later on in the day though.

Southbound was stop start all the way from just before the Avonmouth Bridge to past J23. The queue for Sedgemoor Services was stacked up well onto the main carriageway too, all for no reason other than it being a Saturday in August!

[SteveA30]

Chaos in Somerset yesterday Thursday Sept 13, after a major fatal crash near J25 s/bnd. Total closure from 08.30 until 12 when n/bnd reopened. Southbound closed until 19.30.
Queues on the A38 from Wellington to Bridgwater n/bnd and Highbridge to Taunton s/bnd and on the M5 except the closed J24-25. Despite north reopening at 12, it took until 3pm to clear the 8 mile stretch of A38, due to parked cars in Petherton and 3 new sets of lights at the Bridgwater end near the services.
Southbound stayed on the A38 until about 8pm.

Overspill diversions also on to A39, A361, A372, via Langport, A378 and B3141

[SteveA30]

North Petherton battened down the hatches while the invasion took place.
Hard to believe that this was the main north-south route until as late as 1975.

[SteveA30]

On towards Highbridge......
Avoiding Bridgwater which seemed to be paralyzed, by taking the M5 north, it took 15 mins to reach the A38 rbt at Edithmead from J22, as M5-ers were bailing out from the queue there.

Having worked northwards gradually, I was now in the same trap as everyone else trying to head south. The A38 was only clear north of there so, going via Mark to the B3141, only uncovered a Q to join the A39, where streams were heading towards Glastonbury, then A361 back. However the lights in Burrowbridge caused a Q from Othery so, many including me were heading to Langport on A372 then A378 to A358. I headed home from Langport as it was getting dark. The M5 opened about then but people were scattered all over Somerset.

Only 159 pics taken.

[DB617]

Thank you for following these incidents about. I think it's fascinating to see - save for maybe induced demand effects, especially on freight traffic coming off the railway - how the roads of the yesteryear would have coped with today's traffic had we not pressed forward with major road projects like the M5 south of Bristol. Doesn't it just show that we simply can't give in to NIMBYism and politician paralysis, that we absolutely have to continue to work on capacity in response to rising traffic levels?

Having ridden the A48 Chepstow - Gloucester today I can quite fairly say that an M4 and M48 closure during the daytime for example in an extreme weather event, would cause just as much bedlam. Both roads were absolutely needed in their time and more will be in the future.