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M19 wrote:The M42 & M40 will be even wiser, as the "Smart" motorway works between J13 & 16 of the M1 are due start in May. Going by the time it's taken between J16 and J19, including the barrier works, that will be about four years. For that amount of time you could have built a new motorway from scratch, and who'd have thought it, widened it properly in even less time with the proper junction improvement that were planned.
Are the contractors doing this for a fixed cost or by the hour? Makes you wonder doesn't it?
Oh great, another 4 years of roadworks. I just finally got used to it being full speed 16-19 literally a few weeks ago
And it wont just be this, as I'm guessing when complete this attention will turn to changing the HSR section (J10-J13) to full 4 lane layout. While this should be a repaint job, I'm guessing they'll manage to streth it over another year or so. Also bear in mind the previous roadworks for this left the majority of the central reservation armco inplace, so I'm guessing they will want to rip it out and put a concrete barrier in.
All this I wouldn't mind if it was a proper widening job like J25-J28 was carried out, rather than the ALR bodge Highways England seem to have an obscession about at the moment.
The TM has slowly been going out all week, expect it to continue up to Easter.
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Now the works are up and running, all of the work seems to be on the hard shoulders and embankments, rather than the central reservation. Are they doing these works 'backwards', or is the barrier not being done? Anyone know?
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They might be doing the verge works first before going into the middle to do the concrete barrier and then finish off by resurfacing the traffic lanes.
Patience is not a virtue - it's a concept invented by the dozy beggars who are unable to think quickly enough.
Because most of the gantries cantilever from the verge, and the few portal gantries span verge-to-verge there is less work in the central reserve. If the carriageway already drains to the verge then replacing the barrier is even easier, you can do it at the end whilst commissioning all the tech.
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Presumably this is down to the highway boundary being very close to the back of the former hard shoulder. It certainly is not a standard approach.
Yes, it was done because there is effectively no verge at that point. It’s a real shame because it’s been done in several places on that stretch and it looks fabulously ugly, especially in front of the bridges which have no central pier. It really jars.
Big L wrote: ↑Tue Jul 17, 2018 22:27
But on the other hand there is little chance of a car driver having the view of the sign blocked by lorries.
Given the height of them, any message should be visible for most of the approach time; if it isn't then it's possible the driver has spent much too long directly alongside the lorry and is terrible at overtakes?
Bryn Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already. She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Presumably this is down to the highway boundary being very close to the back of the former hard shoulder. It certainly is not a standard approach.
Wow those look awful. Wonder why they couldn't purchase the additional parcel of land for the gantry like they did on the M25 widening. Shouldn't see any more of that with the move back to accessible gantries.
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darkcape wrote: ↑Wed Jul 18, 2018 18:23
Wonder why they couldn't purchase the additional parcel of land for the gantry like they did on the M25 widening. Shouldn't see any more of that with the move back to accessible gantries.
They could have purchased the land, but then that would have involved moving the boundary of the motorway outwards and thus needing a public enquiry. My understanding from what I've read on here over the past few years is that the biggest cost saving of Smart Motorways v traditional widening is that they don't normally (the M4 scheme being an exception because it DID involve increasing the footprint of the motorway) require public enquiries because they are classed as a technology scheme as opposed to civil engineering works.
darkcape wrote: ↑Wed Jul 18, 2018 18:23
Wonder why they couldn't purchase the additional parcel of land for the gantry like they did on the M25 widening. Shouldn't see any more of that with the move back to accessible gantries.
They could have purchased the land, but then that would have involved moving the boundary of the motorway outwards and thus needing a public enquiry. My understanding from what I've read on here over the past few years is that the biggest cost saving of Smart Motorways v traditional widening is that they don't normally (the M4 scheme being an exception because it DID involve increasing the footprint of the motorway) require public enquiries because they are classed as a technology scheme as opposed to civil engineering works.
Yes, basically they're a way to try and fool NIMBYs that the motorway isn't being widened. Of course when the NIMBYs find out a gantry is being constructed next to their house.......
Bryn Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already. She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Presumably this is down to the highway boundary being very close to the back of the former hard shoulder. It certainly is not a standard approach.
Wow those look awful. Wonder why they couldn't purchase the additional parcel of land for the gantry like they did on the M25 widening. Shouldn't see any more of that with the move back to accessible gantries.
Looks fine to me, it is functional, it is on a motorway, something not exactly renound being pretty. Personally I'd rather see them there than on the NS for the reasons already mentioned, more chance of them being visible.
darkcape wrote: ↑Wed Jul 18, 2018 18:23
Wonder why they couldn't purchase the additional parcel of land for the gantry like they did on the M25 widening. Shouldn't see any more of that with the move back to accessible gantries.
They could have purchased the land, but then that would have involved moving the boundary of the motorway outwards and thus needing a public enquiry. My understanding from what I've read on here over the past few years is that the biggest cost saving of Smart Motorways v traditional widening is that they don't normally (the M4 scheme being an exception because it DID involve increasing the footprint of the motorway) require public enquiries because they are classed as a technology scheme as opposed to civil engineering works.
Yes, basically they're a way to try and fool NIMBYs that the motorway isn't being widened. Of course when the NIMBYs find out a gantry is being constructed next to their house.......
It might be too late by that time and they have to put up with it!
Am I dreaming or was the scheduled completion date for these works March 2022 ? I drove through late last night and thought I saw signs saying March 2020. The HE website confirms 2020.
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Big L wrote: ↑Mon Oct 01, 2018 19:43
Am I dreaming or was the scheduled completion date for these works March 2022 ? I drove through late last night and thought I saw signs saying March 2020. The HE website confirms 2020.
It was always 2020 for this section. 2022 for 13-15 due to the distance.
M19 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 19:13
The M42 & M40 will be even wiser, as the "Smart" motorway works between J13 & 16 of the M1 are due start in May. ?
I came down the M40 the Saturday before last at about 8pm after a day at Alton Towers, and could not believe how busy it was. Now seeing this it all makes sense.
If you were to go from London to the North West currently on the M1/M6 you would have nearly 73 miles of road works on a 200 mile journey, the route being
M1 J13 to J16 - 24 Miles
M6 J2 to J4 - 13 miles
M6 J13 to j15 - 18 miles
M6 J16 to J19 - 18 miles
So using the M40 misses half of this out, alright I know J16 to J19 is due to finish but that is still an horrendous percentage of roadworks
M19 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 19:13
The M42 & M40 will be even wiser, as the "Smart" motorway works between J13 & 16 of the M1 are due start in May. ?
I came down the M40 the Saturday before last at about 8pm after a day at Alton Towers, and could not believe how busy it was. Now seeing this it all makes sense.
If you were to go from London to the North West currently on the M1/M6 you would have nearly 73 miles of road works on a 200 mile journey, the route being
M1 J13 to J16 - 24 Miles
M6 J2 to J4 - 13 miles
M6 J13 to j15 - 18 miles
M6 J16 to J19 - 18 miles
So using the M40 misses half of this out, alright I know J16 to J19 is due to finish but that is still an horrendous percentage of roadworks
Living in Luton and driving several times a year to Scotland I know all about it . At the moment it's almost at the tipping point where I'm better off joining the A1 at Black Cat and then going via Scotch Corner and across to Penrith. Yes, M6 J16-19 is finishing soon, but almost as soon as that finishes, M6 J21a to J26 starts. To be fair, the M1 J13-16 and M6 J13-15 schemes are not under continuous restrictions for the whole length.
. At the moment it's almost at the tipping point where I'm better off joining the A1 at Black Cat and then going via Scotch Corner and across to Penrith. Yes, M6 J16-19 is finishing soon, but almost as soon as that finishes, M6 J21a to J26 starts. To be fair, the M1 J13-16 and M6 J13-15 schemes are not under continuous restrictions for the whole length.