M5/A39 route to Minehead

[roadphotos]

Am I the only one who gets confused by the signing for Minehead on the M5. When travelling south the signs for junction 23 say A39 Glastonbury and there's no signing for Minehead until just before the junction where there's a small sign that reads for Minehead use junction 23. This sign is to late for anyone in lanes 2 or 3 as by the time you've seen the sign it's to late to change lanes and exit at junction 23. I have to wonder if this sign is meant to read for Minehead use junction 24 as this is the junction where the motorway signs show Minehead as the destination at the exit. Also I have to wonder whether Minehead should be signposted at junction 23 anyway as the signs on the M5 havn't been changed since the A39 by-pass to the north of Bridgwater was constructed, also does anyone know why Minehead was patched over in the first place.

[Stevie D]

The signs for Minehead from the M5 are a complete mess. They are contradictory, and some signs have been patched over as the road network has changed, but what it really needs is a full refresh. It's as though after the opening of Western Way/Homburg Way in Bridgwater, some signs were updated to reflect that A39 is now the preferred route, but others were left alone. I'm not sure if it has improved since I went to North Devon in 2011, but I'm pretty sure from a drive down the M5 last year that they hadn't finished tidying things up even then.

[rileyrob]

As far as I can remember, all Minehead traffic used to be directed via J24 to avoid going through all of Bridgwater town centre, although apart from Summer Saturdays it wasn't too bad getting across town. When the NDR opened, that sign was added for J23, and I believe that at the time it was a temporary measure prior to resigning the junction properly. I'm surprised to hear it's still there - is Minehead still signed at J24 S/B?
As far as I can remember, once on the A38 heading into Bridgwater, signs direct Minehead traffic quite well.

[vlad]

Minehead definitely was signposted heading south at J24 back in March and I think Exmoor was as well. I don't remember any signs at J23 but that could just mean I wasn't looking.

[Owain]

Minehead definitely was signposted heading south at J24 back in March and I think Exmoor was as well. I don't remember any signs at J23 but that could just mean I wasn't looking.

And yet you were the best navigator I've ever had!

[DavidBrown]

Here's what you have coming south along the M5.

1 mile - No Minehead but no prizes for guessing what's under that patch.
3/4 mile - Afterthought sign.
1/2 mile - No Minehead and no patch.
1/4 mile - Another afterthought sign.
At diverge - Minead signposted straight on.
On slip road - no mention of Minehead whatsoever.

After that, the signing improves but still isn't great. All in all a complete and utter mess.

[vlad]

Minehead definitely was signposted heading south at J24 back in March and I think Exmoor was as well. I don't remember any signs at J23 but that could just mean I wasn't looking.

And yet you were the best navigator I've ever had!

If I know where I'm going there's no need to look at the signs in detail.

[Owain]

And yet you were the best navigator I've ever had!

If I know where I'm going there's no need to look at the signs in detail.

It wasn't just your knowledge of the back-roads of Devon that impressed me; it was all the little snippets of information and the anecdotes that made you such a great navigator.

[roadphotos]

Just as I thought a complete mess, glad it isn't just me. The Highways Agency need to get there act together and sort this out.

[vlad]

It wasn't just your knowledge of the back-roads of Devon that impressed me; it was all the little snippets of information and the anecdotes that made you such a great navigator.

I don't remember any of this....

However, given you seemed to enjoy it, when's the next road trip?

[Owain]

It wasn't just your knowledge of the back-roads of Devon that impressed me; it was all the little snippets of information and the anecdotes that made you such a great navigator.

I don't remember any of this....

However, given you seemed to enjoy it, when's the next road trip?

20 May.

The North-West Mini Meet is next!

Oh yes - and I've heard from Comstock. He should be coming along too.

[roadphotos]

Thanks David Brown for the pictures showing exactly what's signposted on the southbound M5 on approach to junction 23. As you say the signs are a complete mess, now I can see why I got so confused the last time I travelled to Minehead.

[Bryn666]

The M5 in general has terrible signage. It needs a full strategy co-ordinated across the several HE Areas in charge.

So not likely then.

[M4Simon]

The M5 in general has terrible signage. It needs a full strategy co-ordinated across the several HE Areas in charge.

So not likely then.

I think the HE south-west region extends from Tewkesbury southwards along the M5, and the rest of the motorway is in the West Midlands area, so only two to co-ordinate.

The Bridgwater area is interesting because of the works required to facilitate Hinkley Point C, which I understand include upgrading of routes all around Bridgwater and to the motorway. HE have a scheme for J23 - http://roads.highways.gov.uk/projects/m ... -junction/ and hopefully that will include a rationalisation of signage in the area.

Simon

[wrinkly]

I think the HE south-west region extends from Tewkesbury southwards along the M5, and the rest of the motorway is in the West Midlands area, so only two to co-ordinate.

The government has standard regions that it uses for most purposes. They are based on counties. Hereford & Worcester comes under the West Midlands but Gloucestershire comes under the SW. So as you say the M5 crosses the boundary near Tewkesbury - about a mile north of J9.

[RichardA35]

I think the HE south-west region extends from Tewkesbury southwards along the M5, and the rest of the motorway is in the West Midlands area, so only two to co-ordinate.

The government has standard regions that it uses for most purposes. They are based on counties. Hereford & Worcester comes under the West Midlands but Gloucestershire comes under the SW. So as you say the M5 crosses the boundary near Tewkesbury - about a mile north of J9.

Indeed, remembering also the HE Network Management Map (7MB pdf) shows the boundaries of the Maintenance Areas.
It can be seen that the M5 is split between Areas 9 and 2.

[roadphotos]

Things are a little better now on approach to junction 23. The incorrect sign that said Minehead straight on has now been patched over which means the signs are no longer contradictory. Although this is better more needs to be done, the sign on the slip road at the exit from the southbound M5 still has no mention of Minehead.

[roadphotos]

It looks like it's only the sign immediately before the southbound exit at junction 23 that now shows Minehead as one of the destinations off the M5, it is shown on the same sign that had until fairly recently shown Minehead as straight ahead. You can see on the sign now that only 3 destinations are shown straight ahead with the one that used to say Minehead now patched over. This means that the sign is now correct but none of the other signs have had any changes. I'm pretty sure that when I travelled down the M5 recently the signs on the M5 1 mile and a half of a mile before junction 23 still had no mention of Minehead, also the sign on the slip road on approach to the roundabout at junction 23 also still has no mention of Minehead. What's the point of correcting one sign just before the junction if none of the others even mention Minehead as a destination.

[WHBM]

The better way to get to Minehead is via J25 at Taunton, a few minutes further ahead. Know your way through the town by the new Trenchard Way, then up the A358. The A39 from Bridgwater to Williton is exceptionally slow and curvaceous, and both the Bridgwater junctions are far out from the town.

[PhilC]

Here's what you have coming south along the M5.

1 mile - No Minehead but no prizes for guessing what's under that patch.

After that, the signing improves but still isn't great. All in all a complete and utter mess.

Go back to Jun 2012 GSV and you don't have to guess. Minehead is clearly visible under the patch.

https://goo.gl/maps/9oBWHjgQDQqw678q6