The speed limit on the M11 heading north out of London goes up from 50 to 70 on a curve that makes 70 feel too fast (in my car at least).JonB2028 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 17:38The radius of the M90 bend looks to be around 500m. That figures as 510m is one of the tabulated radii in the DMRB - two steps below desirable minimum in current terminology and which used to be termed "limiting" in TD 9/81. I think what pre-dated this was similar, Road note ??Unbreakify wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 14:25 The M90 is the tightest bend you'll get on a proper motorway, not a slip road.
M69 approaching M1 J21 looks to be similar radius as does M11 in Woodford and M5 in West Bromwich. The M90 does look worse, being nearly 180 degrees, though.
Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
Moderator: Site Management Team
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
-
- Member
- Posts: 1185
- Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2015 13:14
- Location: Gone
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
For mainline and not approaching terminal junctions, what about the M53(N) just after J5
Yes, I know it was meant to be different, but it's still a 90 degree bend at full motorway speed
Yes, I know it was meant to be different, but it's still a 90 degree bend at full motorway speed
- A42_Sparks
- Member
- Posts: 958
- Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2003 23:20
- Location: Ballymena, N Ireland
-
- Member
- Posts: 517
- Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 21:44
- Location: London
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.70689 ... 384!8i8192drm567 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 11:22 I nominate the off-slips at M1 jn. 6. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.70494 ... 814635,16z The southbound one is particularly daft https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.70485 ... 384!8i8192 , look at the tyre marks left by vehicles that have been caught out. To compound the horror just round the bend is a 30 limit and two junctions with residential roads. (It's featured in Chris's site at https://www.roads.org.uk/badjunctions/1-405
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.70485 ... 384!8i8192
What makes this extra dangerous, is that if any traffic comes off the Motorway too fast, they won't plough into a crash barrier, they'll plough into traffic going the other way, as the sliproads are basically S2!
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
Technically not a motorway (but it was supposed to an Expressway / A(M) road), but the A14 eastbound at Girton has a very sharp bend after you diverge from the M11.
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.2340367,0.0665423,15z
The road is now 2 lanes and there is a national speed limit sign literally on the bend (marking an end to VSL)
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.2321473 ... 384!8i8192
The road has alway been NSL even before the upgrade, but what is odd is that going westbound, there is a less tight (but longer) bend which was given a 50 mph limit when it was opened so I'm very surprised the eastbound one wasn't updated at the same time.
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.2303745 ... 384!8i8192
The eastbound bend can be taken at 70 mph but a lot of cars hit the breaks as the drivers realise how tight the corner is.
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.2340367,0.0665423,15z
The road is now 2 lanes and there is a national speed limit sign literally on the bend (marking an end to VSL)
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.2321473 ... 384!8i8192
The road has alway been NSL even before the upgrade, but what is odd is that going westbound, there is a less tight (but longer) bend which was given a 50 mph limit when it was opened so I'm very surprised the eastbound one wasn't updated at the same time.
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.2303745 ... 384!8i8192
The eastbound bend can be taken at 70 mph but a lot of cars hit the breaks as the drivers realise how tight the corner is.
-
- Banned
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2021 17:11
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
A bit of measuring on Google Maps suggests it probably had a diameter of about 120-130m, which is about three times the size of M8 J17.
But of course the M8 loop is approached through a 30mph speed limit while the Strensham one was at the end of a lengthy straight where there was literally no speed limit!
Chris
Roads.org.uk
Roads.org.uk
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
Nearly all of the examples i've seen are junctions, slip roads or spurs etc. For an actual mainline, this has to be a good contender https://www.google.com/maps/place/M53/@ ... -2.9826689
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
OK this is Germany A571 but tight for a mainline even if somewhat pointless motorway.
“The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie" - Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn
Johnny Mo
Johnny Mo
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
If we're opening up foreign lands then the Innerbelt Curve on the I-90 in Cleveland is a corner I've driven. Marked down to a 35 mph limit and apparently known locally as Dead Man's Curve.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5165134 ... 384!8i8192
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cleve ... 81.6943605
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5165134 ... 384!8i8192
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cleve ... 81.6943605
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
They're gone now but the original S curve on the Lake Shore Drive in Chicago were literal 90 degree bends with, I think, 15mph speed limits.kiran_mk2 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 13:06 If we're opening up foreign lands then the Innerbelt Curve on the I-90 in Cleveland is a corner I've driven. Marked down to a 35 mph limit and apparently known locally as Dead Man's Curve.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5165134 ... 384!8i8192
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cleve ... 81.6943605
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
https://goo.gl/maps/jNBoMjuqZnSorC1S8
Westbound on the M8 just after the Kingston Bridge. There’s a fair old camber on it which helps.
Westbound on the M8 just after the Kingston Bridge. There’s a fair old camber on it which helps.
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
The M876 Westbound where it starts multiplexing with the M9 is quite tight
https://goo.gl/maps/5Yx9zzScurHknF7x8
https://goo.gl/maps/5Yx9zzScurHknF7x8
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
The M60 at Bredbury, as mentioned previously, does tighten a little, which is not ideal on a motorway. The M56 Sharston bypass, between Jct 3 and 2, is deceptive, with two apex and neither is a steady radius, both tightening. My own vote for off the mainline are the on and off slips for Jct 4 of the M621. At least they are steady radii
- Glen
- Social Media Admin
- Posts: 5432
- Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2006 02:16
- Location: Inbhir Pheofharain
- Contact:
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
Although, despite the erroneous placement of the signs, the loop isn't on the motorway and is a sliproad between the A82 and the A804.
-
- Member
- Posts: 332
- Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2017 20:42
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
Never realised it wasn't motorway but it makes sense that it isn't. OSM has the loop as motorway between A82 and A804 making it a contender for shortest motorway! OS has it as an A road.
Was discussed previously in the Motorway Abnormalities thread where a post says the signs on the loops were incorrect and would be removed in the near future - back in 2003.
David D Miller wrote: ↑Thu Apr 17, 2003 09:24 Feedback from Amey Highways regarding the signing from the A82 and A804 at the M8 J17 westbound entry:
The westbound link road from the A804 to Charing Cross is not motorway, and is correctly signed. The loop from the eastbound A82 to the link road from the A804 is not motorway, and the two signs on it indicating start of M8 are both wrong. These two signs are already scheduled to be removed in the near future.
-
- Committee Member
- Posts: 338
- Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2015 10:59
- Location: Inverness
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
The Radius of the bend is 694m, as is the curve the M90 has passing under J10 Craigend!JonB2028 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 17:38The radius of the M90 bend looks to be around 500m. That figures as 510m is one of the tabulated radii in the DMRB - two steps below desirable minimum in current terminology and which used to be termed "limiting" in TD 9/81. I think what pre-dated this was similar, Road note ??Unbreakify wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 14:25 The M90 is the tightest bend you'll get on a proper motorway, not a slip road.
- A42_Sparks
- Member
- Posts: 958
- Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2003 23:20
- Location: Ballymena, N Ireland
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
Thanks I wasn't even sure myself, that junction has a very unusual design.
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
The curve on the M80 as it goes under the railway bridge here (https://goo.gl/maps/FCP2yHRviV8kC5av7) is much tighter, albeit it's subject to a 50mph limit. I reckon the radius is as tight as 250m on the Southbound carriageway.Duncan macknight wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 10:34The Radius of the bend is 694m, as is the curve the M90 has passing under J10 Craigend!JonB2028 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 17:38The radius of the M90 bend looks to be around 500m. That figures as 510m is one of the tabulated radii in the DMRB - two steps below desirable minimum in current terminology and which used to be termed "limiting" in TD 9/81. I think what pre-dated this was similar, Road note ??Unbreakify wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 14:25 The M90 is the tightest bend you'll get on a proper motorway, not a slip road.
Re: Tightest Curve on a Motorway?
That sliproad has been a single lane for as long as I can remember, certainly for the last 30 years. The second lane used to end about where that streetview photo was taken, prior to the current layout where the sliproad is a lane drop. The sliproad from the Friarton Bridge towards the Broxden spur (https://goo.gl/maps/wibmwCtzvUoGj6B79) had 2 lanes until about 10 years ago - are you thinking of this instead?FtoE wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 22:31The M90 southbound at Craigend (J10) was until a few years ago a tight two-laneDB124 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 18:17 Not very original, I know.
But, this question comes in two parts:
-Which is the tightest curve on the mainline of a motorway?
-and which is the tightest curve under motorway restrictions?
For the former, my intuition tells me M90 Balmanno Hill or Queensferry, though it is possible that an urban motorway has a sharper curve (A167(M), M4). I haven't included Simister or Worsley because neither were designed as a mainline motorway.
For the latter, a more interesting task is presented. For example, this one west of Newport seems ludicrous. And whoever thought two lanes was a safe idea at Tebay needs to be fired. Is there a cloverleaf loop tighter than these? Or perhaps a really nasty roundabout approach with some awkward corners?
Would love to hear everyone's thoughts and insights on corners with Blue Signs.
https://goo.gl/maps/wHhW4sfoezwV5uXb8