A500 Etruria widening

[Ruperts Trooper]

Slower vehicle speeds increase the ability of the weaving section to process more traffic than it would at 70...

I fail to understand why people oppose the proven fact that slower speeds where weaving occurs actually helps improve throughput because you aren't waiting for gaps that don't form and not joining a stream of traffic at a lower speed causing a brake shockwave.

That's the whole basis of variable speed limits, as demonstrated in trials on the M25 and M42, that reducing peak speeds will increase the average speed during heavy traffic - that's ok with VSL as the limit reverts to 70 when congestion clears but lower fixed limits cause frustration off-peak.

[Bryn666]

Yes but with substandard weaving distances between junctions the flow breakdown occurs off peak because that's when drivers speed up and cause the problems with gap availability and stopping distances.

[Owain]

Slower vehicle speeds increase the ability of the weaving section to process more traffic than it would at 70...

I fail to understand why people oppose the proven fact that slower speeds where weaving occurs actually helps improve throughput because you aren't waiting for gaps that don't form and not joining a stream of traffic at a lower speed causing a brake shockwave.

It presumably also eases pressure on the emergency services!

[vlad]

The sceptic in me says all that's going to happen is that speed limits will be decreased again but you never know.

You were right! Press release in article above:

"Reduction of the speed limit from 70mph to 50mph which is consistent with the majority of the A500."

I aim to please.

[jackal]

As part of this scheme HE permanently closed the left hand filter lane from the A527 Grange Lane onto the A500 northbound. This is completely boneheaded and unsurprisingly the locals are unhappy: https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/st ... 5m-4887169

Good picture from the above link: https://i2-prod.stokesentinel.co.uk/inc ... E-LANE.jpg

There is a new NMU track nearby, though this is accommodated by taking the verge back with a new retaining wall. The space for the filter doesn't seem to have been affected at all, there is still a two lane slip for a lane gain, so it just seems to be ideological opposition to freeflow from the designers.

The plans for the Etruria Valley Link Road, now under construction, will add a second lane at the roundabout entry but as the freeflow will be lost, capacity is reduced compared to the status quo ante: https://burslem.info/sites/default/file ... up.pdf?361

[Bryn666]

Highways England are extremely inconsistent on their approach to "SLTL", particularly in that they can't just call it a free flow lane, you see.

They have this absolute aversion to two merges within 200m of each other, despite the fact the rest of the world manages to have these with few problems.

Boneheaded is the only way to describe the new DMRB, it's completely unfit for purpose.

[wrinkly]

Highways England are extremely inconsistent on their approach to "SLTL", particularly in that they can't just call it a free flow lane, you see.

Sorry, what's SLTL?

[Bryn666]

Highways England are extremely inconsistent on their approach to "SLTL", particularly in that they can't just call it a free flow lane, you see.

Sorry, what's SLTL?

Exactly, it stands for "segregated left turn lane", a phrase nobody normal uses because it's a free flow lane.

[A303Chris]

Boneheaded is the only way to describe the new DMRB, it's completely unfit for purpose.

Thankfully then myself and my colleague are not the only ones who thing it is not fit for purpose. So much good stuff has been taken out.

Removing the capacity of the Urban and Rural Roads TD's for example was stupid. Yes for an all singing and all dancing massive road scheme use webtag, but for a development of say 100 dwellings you could calculate the capacity of the adjacent network using the congestion flow reference (CFR) of the neighbouring roads as long as you knew the AADT, percentage of HGV's , the 85th percentile speed and road width, the first three easily obtained from an ATC survey. It was a quick and easy calculation, not any longer.

We have started to use Section 3.4 and Table 3.2 of Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual which gives capacity of traffic lanes depending on the % of HGV's and the nature of the road to determine likely capacity. Actually works in our favour as capacities come out higher using this than the CFR.

[KILLER KNIGHT]

I'd love it if somebody could explain to me what is wrong with 60 mph ? It's now always 50 mph on whatever new dual-carriageway road that gets built nowadays, unless it's 40 mph or less ! Runcorn seem to manage with most of their DC network at 60 mph.

There’s nothing wrong with it and I totally agree with you.

[fras]

I'd love it if somebody could explain to me what is wrong with 60 mph ? It's now always 50 mph on whatever new dual-carriageway road that gets built nowadays, unless it's 40 mph or less ! Runcorn seem to manage with most of their DC network at 60 mph.

There’s nothing wrong with it and I totally agree with you.

It does seem as if the DMRB is designed to guarantee no non-motorway road, dual or single carriageway can be built with a speed limit higher than 50 mph ! Having said that, Cheshire East have boldly allowed 60 mph on most of the new Congleton Link Road, built, one assumes, under DMRB guidance. However there have been some accidents at the unlit roundabouts and I do wonder why unlit roundabouts are permitted on 60 mph roads. Of course there are lots of other junctions on 60 mph roads that are worse than roundabouts and don't suffer frequent collisions ! Even so, one would think lit roundabouts should be de rigeur in country locations where people least expect them. Just a thought...........

[KILLER KNIGHT]

I'd love it if somebody could explain to me what is wrong with 60 mph ? It's now always 50 mph on whatever new dual-carriageway road that gets built nowadays, unless it's 40 mph or less ! Runcorn seem to manage with most of their DC network at 60 mph.

There’s nothing wrong with it and I totally agree with you.

It does seem as if the DMRB is designed to guarantee no non-motorway road, dual or single carriageway can be built with a speed limit higher than 50 mph ! Having said that, Cheshire East have boldly allowed 60 mph on most of the new Congleton Link Road, built, one assumes, under DMRB guidance. However there have been some accidents at the unlit roundabouts and I do wonder why unlit roundabouts are permitted on 60 mph roads. Of course there are lots of other junctions on 60 mph roads that are worse than roundabouts and don't suffer frequent collisions ! Even so, one would think lit roundabouts should be de rigeur in country locations where people least expect them. Just a thought...........

That’s a great idea!

[chaseracer]

Hopefully, the destroyed 'Capo' red-brick bust of Josiah Wedgwood will be restored...

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/st ... il-8105090