Most underrated and most overrated roads

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Berk
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

Post by Berk »

vlad wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 17:12 The A54 in the Peak District is surprisingly underrated.

It probably suffers by being inferior to the nearby A537 Cat & Fiddle. If it were anywhere else then a lot more people would know about it.
It grabs a scarce 2-digit number for a less than 50-mile route... :twisted:
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

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jimboLL wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 21:29 over rated
A15 Humber Bridge - an expensive way of going from nowhere in particular to nowhere in particular.
Disagree. How else would you get to East Yorkshire, or Scarborough?? Without it the journey would be twice as long.
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

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skiddaw05 wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 23:06 This probably won't be poular....

Overrated - the A1. To be more specific I'm thinking the Nottinghamshire / South Yorkshire area where it seems it is often considered a better alternative to the M1.

Underrated - the M1 for the same reason. Last summer I went up to Harrogate on a Friday afternoon on the A1 and the miserable grind it was becoming ground to a halt just before the M18, so I switched to the M18 to get to the M1 (had I known earlier I'd have used the A57) and the M1 from here was flowing nicely all the way to Hook Moor.

Also IMV it's a more interesting route with great views across Sheffield and the Pennines beyond, which makes the A1 seem somewhat dull in comparison.
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

Post by trickstat »

Berk wrote: Mon Apr 15, 2019 19:59
jimboLL wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 21:29 over rated
A15 Humber Bridge - an expensive way of going from nowhere in particular to nowhere in particular.
Disagree. How else would you get to East Yorkshire, or Scarborough?? Without it the journey would be twice as long.
How about-

East Yorkshire - A1/A1(M), M18, M62, A63
Scarborough - A1/A1(M), A64?

Obviously it would be different if you were starting from somewhere like Scunthorpe or Grimsby.
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

Post by lefthandedspanner »

skiddaw05 wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 23:06Underrated - the M1 for the same reason. Last summer I went up to Harrogate on a Friday afternoon on the A1 and the miserable grind it was becoming ground to a halt just before the M18, so I switched to the M18 to get to the M1 (had I known earlier I'd have used the A57) and the M1 from here was flowing nicely all the way to Hook Moor.

Also IMV it's a more interesting route with great views across Sheffield and the Pennines beyond, which makes the A1 seem somewhat dull in comparison.
Plus it contains the Tinsley viaduct, one of the very few double-decked roads in the British Isles.

I used to commute to the eastern outskirts of Sheffield via the lower deck and I was always impressed by it. It's not at all pretty, but it is a fantastic feat of engineering - and when you're on a motorbike, and you're stood at the lights on the entrance to the southern roundabout, the vibrations on the road deck generated by M1 traffic thundering overhead can be quite disconcerting.
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

Post by Chris Bertram »

Berk wrote: Mon Apr 15, 2019 19:57
vlad wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 17:12 The A54 in the Peak District is surprisingly underrated.

It probably suffers by being inferior to the nearby A537 Cat & Fiddle. If it were anywhere else then a lot more people would know about it.
It grabs a scarce 2-digit number for a less than 50-mile route... :twisted:
There are many worse offenders, let's see, A79, A88, A42, A18, A16, A28, A99.
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

Post by stu531 »

skiddaw05 wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 23:06 This probably won't be poular....

Overrated - the A1. To be more specific I'm thinking the Nottinghamshire / South Yorkshire area where it seems it is often considered a better alternative to the M1.

Underrated - the M1 for the same reason. Last summer I went up to Harrogate on a Friday afternoon on the A1 and the miserable grind it was becoming ground to a halt just before the M18, so I switched to the M18 to get to the M1 (had I known earlier I'd have used the A57) and the M1 from here was flowing nicely all the way to Hook Moor.

Also IMV it's a more interesting route with great views across Sheffield and the Pennines beyond, which makes the A1 seem somewhat dull in comparison.
Interesting you say that. You can see where I'm based, and I would always use the A1 towards London over the M1. However, it's not due to the views which, as you say, are generally better on the M1, especially south of Wakefield and north of Nottingham. But it's just more of an enjoyable drive on the A1, with less aggressive driving and more quirks to drive on.

But, y'know, it's only opinions...
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

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danfw194 wrote: Mon Apr 15, 2019 19:54 Underrated:
A500: I know some locals on here are not fans, but I like it. I realise Stoke is not a typical city, but having a fully GSJ D2 carve it's way through a big urban area like the A500 does is a novelty.
I've always liked the Shavington Bypass, despite it's roundabouts. Compared to the old A500, it's certainly slashed journey times between Nantwich and the M6.

I'm looking forward to when the final S2 section immediately west of the M6 is dualled.
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

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Berk wrote: Mon Apr 15, 2019 19:57
vlad wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 17:12 The A54 in the Peak District is surprisingly underrated.

It probably suffers by being inferior to the nearby A537 Cat & Fiddle. If it were anywhere else then a lot more people would know about it.
It grabs a scarce 2-digit number for a less than 50-mile route... :twisted:
I would allocate the A34 number to the new Oxford-Cambridge expressway. The A3400-A34 to Birmingham could become A434. The A34 from Birmingham to Manchester could then become A54 (out of zone, I know, but a better use of the number).

And I think the A56 and A556 should swap.
Chris Bertram wrote: Mon Apr 15, 2019 21:20There are many worse offenders, let's see, A79, A88, A42, A18, A16, A28, A99.
Don't forget the A32, A74 and A80!

I would disagree about the A16 and A28. The A16 makes sense as a route between Peterborough and Grimsby, and is surely the most important road in East Lincs. The A28 exists in a small zone where there aren't that many important routes to which important numbers can be allocated. You could argue that it ought to swap with the A299, although personally I think the A29 number should go to the A299, and the A28 could stay as it is.
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

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Glenn A wrote: Sat Apr 13, 2019 15:10 I'd say the A696 and A68 to Edinburgh, generally quiet north of Ponteland and faster and less stressful than using the A1.
I don't think the A696 and A68 are underrated, in the sense that keen drivers who are in the know rate them very highly.

They are, though, underrated in the sense of not being signed in preference to the A1 as the main route between NE England and Edinburgh.
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

Post by Owain »

roadtester wrote: Tue Apr 16, 2019 09:54
Glenn A wrote: Sat Apr 13, 2019 15:10 I'd say the A696 and A68 to Edinburgh, generally quiet north of Ponteland and faster and less stressful than using the A1.
I don't think the A696 and A68 are underrated, in the sense that keen drivers who are in the know rate them very highly.

They are, though, underrated in the sense of not being signed in preference to the A1 as the main route between NE England and Edinburgh.
For that to happen, though, it would make sense to give them a single number (A68) and upgrade them.

The A68 is a fun drive, but quite bumpy, often narrow, and passes through several villages on the Scottish side.
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

Post by KeithW »

Owain wrote: Tue Apr 16, 2019 10:57
For that to happen, though, it would make sense to give them a single number (A68) and upgrade them.

The A68 is a fun drive, but quite bumpy, often narrow, and passes through several villages on the Scottish side.
The A68 is my route of choice but I would be reluctant to sign it from the A1 as its not an ideal road for HGV's. Taking a 40 ton truck over Carter Bar could be interesting especially in winter. The A696 is if anything narrower and takes you through Ponteland and Otterburn.
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

Post by Robert Kilcoyne »

KeithW wrote: Tue Apr 16, 2019 13:21
Owain wrote: Tue Apr 16, 2019 10:57
For that to happen, though, it would make sense to give them a single number (A68) and upgrade them.

The A68 is a fun drive, but quite bumpy, often narrow, and passes through several villages on the Scottish side.
The A68 is my route of choice but I would be reluctant to sign it from the A1 as its not an ideal road for HGV's. Taking a 40 ton truck over Carter Bar could be interesting especially in winter.
The section between Oxton and Soutra Hill could also be a problem for HGV's in winter.
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

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Owain wrote:
bothar wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 21:52
Owain wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 18:07 From an engineering point of view, the A8 in Northern Ireland is just how a modern D2 should be. It is fast and safe, and there's hardly any traffic on it!
The A2 between Newry and Warrenpoint is a lovely drive, even if there if a bottleneck at the end.
A D2 with NSL and no crash barriers? Excellent .... I'm going to NI at the end of May! :D
What's more it's got what looks like a properly useful cycle lane, until someone blocks it by breaking donlwn of course...

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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

Post by Skinnylew »

I drove the M40 from the M25 to Oxford the other day and forgot how pleasant it is, light-ish traffic, relatively good surface and not masses of lorries.

To get there however i had to traverse the M25 concrete section from Reigate to Chertsey. The worse section of motorway ever, so loud and poor i think i have punctures every time i go over it, despite having new tyres, shockingly bad. That said no one rates the M25 do they so i guess it's underrated at just how bad it is :lol:
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

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For underrated I'll nominate the North & West Highlands route A836, A838, A894, A837, A835. (John O Groats to Ullapool). Those who don't know the area may think that they're going to be slow winding S1/S2 type roads

Well, the S1 parts aren't up to much but much of the S1 west of Melvich has been upgraded to S2 in recent years and the offline upgrades are often excellent driving roads and very quiet (though somewhat less so in the summer since the launch of Northcoast 500).

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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

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Overrated - M54, at least up to J5. It looks like a great route on the map, connecting Telford to Birmingham and beyond to the south, and serving Shrewsbury and mid-Wales after a fashion. But you try to use it, and the drawback is apparent quite soon. It's only two lanes, and since it's serving the highly industrialised town of Telford, this means a high proportion of HGVs, who quite often want to perform overtaking manoeuvres. Two lanes means no lane is denied to the juggernauts, and the elephant races go on and on forever, with lengthy platoons of unrestricted and highly frustrated vehicles behind. I cannot be the only regular user of this route who has wished for a destructor beam weapon to aim at an overtaking HGV making minimal progress past its object vehicle.

In fairness, it's a good route to use evenings and weekends. But it can't cope with its peak usage pattern. It needs widening from M6 to J5 at least, but I doubt this will happen until after I've ceased to benefit from it.
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

Post by Berk »

Chris Bertram wrote: Tue Apr 16, 2019 22:24 Overrated - M54, at least up to J5. It looks like a great route on the map, connecting Telford to Birmingham and beyond to the south, and serving Shrewsbury and mid-Wales after a fashion. But you try to use it, and the drawback is apparent quite soon. It's only two lanes, and since it's serving the highly industrialised town of Telford, this means a high proportion of HGVs, who quite often want to perform overtaking manoeuvres. Two lanes means no lane is denied to the juggernauts, and the elephant races go on and on forever, with lengthy platoons of unrestricted and highly frustrated vehicles behind. I cannot be the only regular user of this route who has wished for a destructor beam weapon to aim at an overtaking HGV making minimal progress past its object vehicle.

In fairness, it's a good route to use evenings and weekends. But it can't cope with its peak usage pattern. It needs widening from M6 to J5 at least, but I doubt this will happen until after I've ceased to benefit from it.
The lorries have to join somewhere, they can’t be in front forever. Why can’t you get very long chains of cars (a dozen, two dozen or more) to keep the lorries out of lane 2??

We have exactly the same situation over here, but the lorries don’t dominate half as much. Though to be fair, they mostly keep to the A1.

Would it even hurt if there was a new regulation banning HGV’s from lane 2 unless the carriageway had 3 or more lanes?? :?:
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

Post by trickstat »

Berk wrote: Tue Apr 16, 2019 23:41
Chris Bertram wrote: Tue Apr 16, 2019 22:24 Overrated - M54, at least up to J5. It looks like a great route on the map, connecting Telford to Birmingham and beyond to the south, and serving Shrewsbury and mid-Wales after a fashion. But you try to use it, and the drawback is apparent quite soon. It's only two lanes, and since it's serving the highly industrialised town of Telford, this means a high proportion of HGVs, who quite often want to perform overtaking manoeuvres. Two lanes means no lane is denied to the juggernauts, and the elephant races go on and on forever, with lengthy platoons of unrestricted and highly frustrated vehicles behind. I cannot be the only regular user of this route who has wished for a destructor beam weapon to aim at an overtaking HGV making minimal progress past its object vehicle.

In fairness, it's a good route to use evenings and weekends. But it can't cope with its peak usage pattern. It needs widening from M6 to J5 at least, but I doubt this will happen until after I've ceased to benefit from it.
The lorries have to join somewhere, they can’t be in front forever. Why can’t you get very long chains of cars (a dozen, two dozen or more) to keep the lorries out of lane 2??

We have exactly the same situation over here, but the lorries don’t dominate half as much. Though to be fair, they mostly keep to the A1.

Would it even hurt if there was a new regulation banning HGV’s from lane 2 unless the carriageway had 3 or more lanes?? :?:
It's an idea. I think you would need to make exceptions for passing very slow vehicles and times of low traffic volumes.
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Re: Most underrated and most overrated roads

Post by KeithW »

Berk wrote: Tue Apr 16, 2019 23:41 Would it even hurt if there was a new regulation banning HGV’s from lane 2 unless the carriageway had 3 or more lanes?? :?:
In a word yes.

While it would be initially welcomed by car and LGV drivers it would mean delays for HGV drivers which is a problem not only because the slower speed, which would be set by the slowest vehicle on the road which on an all purpose D2 could be a tractor, but because they run out of driving hours. This in turn delays their loads which in an economy increasingly based on just in time delivery would be bad news. It would also raise freight rates which affects us all. Many of the strategic freight routes such as the A1, A11, A14, A19 , A55, A30, A38 are D2.

A secondary effect on busy routes would be push all cars and LGV's into lane 2 where once again the slowest vehicle would set the pace.
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