M5 Oldbury viaduct works

[Jeni]

Have they fully removed the restrictions and reverted to 3 lanes, or is it now just a 2+2 lane drop?

[mapboy]

2+2 lane drop at J4a, but as others have reported, it is flowing very nicely now which is a relief.

[brummie_rob]

Apparently 80% of the repairs have now been done and all hydro demolition is finished. 50% of the edging is ready for waterproofing too.

This seems to have progressed much faster but there is snow forecast next week which may mean some down days.

[Big L]

I passed this was this afternoon to see how things are going. The removal of the restrictions at 4A is nice, but the extension of the 50 limit, specs enforced, on the northbound side back almost to junction 4 just seems to be a different exercise in trying to make money from deliberately engineered driver frustration.

[Truvelo]

I passed this was this afternoon to see how things are going. The removal of the restrictions at 4A is nice, but the extension of the 50 limit, specs enforced, on the northbound side back almost to junction 4 just seems to be a different exercise in trying to make money from deliberately engineered driver frustration.

Yeah, I think the total length of 50 enforced Specs south of the roadworks is now longer than it was before. During quieter times of the day and night I've been using the B4551 to avoid the frustration of crawling along at 50. It takes longer but is less stressful. It's no use doing this diversion during busy times as the queue at the A456 roundabout will be more painful than the 50 limited Specs

[Big L]

The northbound limit started about halfway between j3 and j2 before didn't it?

[Big L]

The northbound limit started about halfway between j3 and j2 before didn't it?

Start of the 50 limit was previously here. It is now approximately 6 miles further back.

6 miles of 50 limit, specs cameras, and not a hint of any work happening.

[IAN]

Perhaps it's a secret test, which could lead to a permanent 50 mph limit as a way of smoothing traffic flow up to the M6 junction!

Ian (M5 Driver)

[brummie_rob]

Perhaps it's a secret test, which could lead to a permanent 50 mph limit as a way of smoothing traffic flow up to the M6 junction!

Ian (M5 Driver)

It does actually work though, queues onto the M6 on the link road haven't happened which also smooths flow on the M6 itself. When it returns to 70 we will all throttle it up to the link roads and sit in traffic again!

[Big L]

Perhaps it's a secret test, which could lead to a permanent 50 mph limit as a way of smoothing traffic flow up to the M6 junction!

Ian (M5 Driver)

It does actually work though, queues onto the M6 on the link road haven't happened which also smooths flow on the M6 itself. When it returns to 70 we will all throttle it up to the link roads and sit in traffic again!

The lack of queues is surely more connected to the throttling effect of the roadworks and 30 limit than the 50 limit long before the works. At least when the authorities had their deliberately engineered jams at 4a it reduced traffic heading up the M5. Now there is much less disincentive.

[brummie_rob]

Perhaps it's a secret test, which could lead to a permanent 50 mph limit as a way of smoothing traffic flow up to the M6 junction!

Ian (M5 Driver)

It does actually work though, queues onto the M6 on the link road haven't happened which also smooths flow on the M6 itself. When it returns to 70 we will all throttle it up to the link roads and sit in traffic again!

The lack of queues is surely more connected to the throttling effect of the roadworks and 30 limit than the 50 limit long before the works. At least when the authorities had their deliberately engineered jams at 4a it reduced traffic heading up the M5. Now there is much less disincentive.

It does in a way, but joining at J3 every day, the actual queues from J3-J2 are much reduced or non-existent into the roadworks since the limit was extended south.

[linuxrocks]

Delayed yet again https://www.expressandstar.com/news/tra ... he-summer/

There were reports earlier, that they were going to hurray the works up, by not painting the armco and other non-essential jobs. This would, of course, mean further closures later to either paint it, or replace the now rusty armco. Hopefully they will do everything.

[brummie_rob]

The update today suggests that they will remove the contraflow in the next few months but will keep two lanes running on each carriageway whilst they finish repairs in lanes 2 and 3 either side (it sounds like SB wasn't actually finished then properly). They also seemed to have removed mention of doing a concrete barrier and replacing worn bits instead. I'd rather they crack on with the concrete barrier than have more roadworks next year for it.

[Norfolktolancashire]

So that will be a years extension from the original completion date.

Once this stretch is finished, which sections of the M6/M5 viaducts in that area are due for similar treatment?

How long is this repair of the Oldbury viaduct reasonably expected to last?

[brummie_rob]

All the signs on the M6 and approaching the works now say 'Main Works Completion Autumn 2019', so there will still be works on-going past then. Some may argue that the viaducts require constant work but there we go...

[Bendo]

The northbound limit started about halfway between j3 and j2 before didn't it?

Start of the 50 limit was previously here. It is now approximately 6 miles further back.

6 miles of 50 limit, specs cameras, and not a hint of any work happening.

Drove it last night at about 11PM, so tedious being pretty much the only car around stuck doing 55 for no apparent reason for all that distance.

[A9NWIL]

The northbound limit started about halfway between j3 and j2 before didn't it?

Start of the 50 limit was previously here. It is now approximately 6 miles further back.

6 miles of 50 limit, specs cameras, and not a hint of any work happening.

Drove it last night at about 11PM, so tedious being pretty much the only car around stuck doing 55 for no apparent reason for all that distance.

Looks like part time speed limits on this section should be set up. There must be a way of turning the specs cameras off after 8pm along with electronic signage for temporary speed limits that come on during the day and electronic signs by the cameras to display 'Not in use' when the speed limit is NSL?

[Bendo]

Start of the 50 limit was previously here. It is now approximately 6 miles further back.

6 miles of 50 limit, specs cameras, and not a hint of any work happening.

Drove it last night at about 11PM, so tedious being pretty much the only car around stuck doing 55 for no apparent reason for all that distance.

Looks like part time speed limits on this section should be set up. There must be a way of turning the specs cameras off after 8pm along with electronic signage for temporary speed limits that come on during the day and electronic signs by the cameras to display 'Not in use' when the speed limit is NSL?

Are they actually doing anything there in the day, it didn't look active as there were no cones etc out that I remember.

[A9NWIL]

Drove it last night at about 11PM, so tedious being pretty much the only car around stuck doing 55 for no apparent reason for all that distance.

Looks like part time speed limits on this section should be set up. There must be a way of turning the specs cameras off after 8pm along with electronic signage for temporary speed limits that come on during the day and electronic signs by the cameras to display 'Not in use' when the speed limit is NSL?

Are they actually doing anything there in the day, it didn't look active as there were no cones etc out that I remember.

Well potentially it could go, but I think the idea was not to create a massive bottleneck when traffic reached the Oldbury viaduct. During the day that would make sense, but after 8pm and before 5am there is no reason for it, hence part time speed restrictions on that section would make better sense than full time restrictions.

[Bendo]

Last year it seemed to work just fine as it was before the massive extension, whats changed?