Bennet, Bennett or something else?

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Twamgle
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Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by Twamgle »

What is the correct spelling for a 'Bennet'/'Bennett' junction?
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nowster
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by nowster »

Twamgle wrote:What is the correct spelling for a 'Bennet'/'Bennett' junction?
Not a term I'm familiar with. Could you describe it?

EDIT: Google is no help either.
SC2
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by SC2 »

I saw it in one of my books, about to go out know but I'll look it up in a bit for you.
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wrinkly
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by wrinkly »

Is it a junction that prompts the response "Gordon Bennett!"?
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flyingscot
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by flyingscot »

I think it is Bennett junction if it is what I am thinking of.

Rubbish description alert but I think is a priority junction where essentially a triangle of roads is formed. The side road splits at a priority junction before meeting the main road to form two two-way roads (about 30m before the junction), one carrying traffic to the left, one to the right which then meet the same main road?

Think the idea is to reduce conflict between right turning traffic, as right turners from the main road do not turn right at the same point as the side road.

Setting myself up for a fall but that's what I think a Bennett junction is! :lol:
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

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wrinkly
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by wrinkly »

I hadn't heard the name before, but such junctions were popular as part of new road schemes in the 1960s. There are probably still some around that were built then, but others have been altered. For example, when Beattock was first bypassed there was one here but it was modified when the A74(M) was built.

"Layout of roads in rural areas" (1968) uses the term "delta junction" and describes it as a high capacity junction (because long right-turn lanes can be provided along the approaches).
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by Bryn666 »

I also have heard delta junction.

Not something we build any more it seems!
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M5Lenzar
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by M5Lenzar »

Surely there are still loads of these? There's two small ones on a country lane near here, and the A1120 terminates on one at its A12 end.

There was another one opposite the A1120 junction, but it's since been downgraded to a standard give-way.
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Chris Bertram
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by Chris Bertram »

Here's an urban example.

There was one just up the road from our house, but Birmingham city council (in their infinite wisdom) turned it into a mini-roundabout.
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Glen
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by Glen »

It's a rather rubbish design in my opinion as it results in poor visibility for traffic turning right onto the main road due to the angle. Large vehicles have to position themselves across both lanes to get any visibility or go to the left of the island to turn right.
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wrinkly
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by wrinkly »

That's probably why it hasn't been used in new schemes for many years now, and some earlier ones have been converted.

I suspect it was already dying when it was mentioned in the 1968 manual. Maybe the description in there was carried forward from an earlier version.
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by skiddaw05 »

Loads of them in these parts, eg here.
Known locally as heater islands, I haven't a clue why (they aren't warm), and yes as you would expect this one in particular is thoroughly wretched to use unless your head can rotate through 360 degrees. It's especially troublesome for van or HGV drivers who have to align their vehicle more or less perpendicular to the main road to see to the left.
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by AndrewGPaul »

skiddaw05 wrote:Loads of them in these parts, eg here.
Known locally as heater islands, I haven't a clue why (they aren't warm)
Probably either named after the heater shield which is a similar shape, or it shares the derivation (based on the shape of a clothes iron).
M5Lenzar
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by M5Lenzar »

They are evidently dangerous on corners where there is a visibility issue, but surely on a straight road, they're good for traffic flow as the angle to join the road is much improved, allowing smaller gaps to be taken.
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by SC2 »

Its Bennett, named after a Mr G.T Bennett, maybe the same bloke as in this article http://archive.commercialmotor.com/arti ... ains-roads

A Bennett Junction's main features are, apparently, 'the gradual turns for vehicles turning right out of the major road or left into it, but a nearly square layout for vehicles turning right into the major road.

His junctions (two of them!) caused an average injury accident reduction, not involving pedestrians, of 30%.

Here's his book, which is apparently where he came up with the idea http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=fskE ... CC4Q6AEwAA
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by wrinkly »

swarkestonecauseway wrote:A Bennett Junction's main features are, apparently, 'the gradual turns for vehicles turning right out of the major road or left into it, but a nearly square layout for vehicles turning right into the major road.
A delta junction alone does not necessarily achieve the latter, so there must be more to a Bennett junction than just a delta junction. There must be some constraint on the angles.
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by Glen »

swarkestonecauseway wrote:A Bennett Junction's main features are, apparently, 'the gradual turns for vehicles turning right out of the major road or left into it, but a nearly square layout for vehicles turning right into the major road.
If they were like that (so that it looks like a right angle triangle) it would be OK, but most triangular junctions have both sides angled (like an isosceles triangle) which is what causes the problem for turning right out of the side road.
M5Lenzar wrote:they're good for traffic flow as the angle to join the road is much improved, allowing smaller gaps to be taken.
The angle is better for both left movements and right turns into the side road, but emerging right is made more hazardous at an acute angle due to the difficulty seeing to the left, especially for large vehicles.
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Stevie D
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by Stevie D »

M5Lenzar wrote:They are evidently dangerous on corners where there is a visibility issue, but surely on a straight road, they're good for traffic flow as the angle to join the road is much improved, allowing smaller gaps to be taken.
I'm not convinced. Partly it depends what you're driving. I prefer to have the main road, particularly to my left, at no more than 90 degrees from my direction of travel, so that I can see clearly what's coming without the B-pillar or my passenger's head being in the way. If you're driving a van it can be even more of an issue trying to see to your left when approaching the main road at a sharp angle.
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Re: Bennet, Bennett or something else?

Post by crazyknightsfan »

Very common in rural Victoria and Western Australia where the main road will zig-zag it's way across the countryside along the edges of various land parcels. They are slowly being replaced by a standard T-junction like in wrinkly's example due to the safety issues discussed above. Most of them here would have started off as basic right-angle junctions where the main road had a TOTSO so it is unsurprising that their introduction resulted in a significant reduction in crashes. Moving the main road traffic from a slow-to-walking-pace-and-give-way scenario to a continuous flow will do that.

For interest, here's a couple of rare examples on major highways in Australia:
Brand Highway, Greenough
Moora-Miling Road, Round Hill (has just been replaced by a standard T-junction on the curve)
Kiewa Valley Highway, Gundowring
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