Comically over-signed destinations

[AndyB]

You’re far from the first person to think that diversion signage needs an overhaul. Even where triangle, circle, square and diamond routes are available, it could still be improved with more diversion-specific signage such as “M9 diverted traffic”, “Diverted traffic for Edinburgh and Fife follow Perth” etc.

[chaseracer]

When M6Toll opened about 20 years ago, the A446 primary destination at the southern end was given as 'Wishaw' (a tiny village) instead of 'Lichfield' to entice drivers onto the new road rather than the free alternative.

I've lived in the area for over 30 years and I'm still not entirely certain where Wishaw is!

[trickstat]

When M6Toll opened about 20 years ago, the A446 primary destination at the southern end was given as 'Wishaw' (a tiny village) instead of 'Lichfield' to entice drivers onto the new road rather than the free alternative.

I've lived in the area for over 30 years and I'm still not entirely certain where Wishaw is!

Isn't it near Motherwell.....

[Big L]

When M6Toll opened about 20 years ago, the A446 primary destination at the southern end was given as 'Wishaw' (a tiny village) instead of 'Lichfield' to entice drivers onto the new road rather than the free alternative.

I've lived in the area for over 30 years and I'm still not entirely certain where Wishaw is!

This sprawling metropolis? How could you not be familiar!

[trickstat]

When M6Toll opened about 20 years ago, the A446 primary destination at the southern end was given as 'Wishaw' (a tiny village) instead of 'Lichfield' to entice drivers onto the new road rather than the free alternative.

I've lived in the area for over 30 years and I'm still not entirely certain where Wishaw is!

This sprawling metropolis? How could you not be familiar!

Apparently, the parish of Wishaw had a population of 125 in the 2011 census. Its main claim to fame is that the Belfry golf course is there.

[Rogndave]

A thread for comically under-signed destinations might be equally interesting.
I would nominate Spalding which has virtually no signage from Peterborough's parkways, despite the two being connected by the section of the A16 newly constructed about 15 years ago, and also despite Spalding being a major destination for fruit and veg imports from Spain, etc.
Peterborough's road numbering is unfit for purpose but seems unlikely to be rectified given the City Council's lack of funds and the general feeling that the prevalence of sat navs means that no-one (except Sabre members) cares much at all about road numbers and destination signs.

[wallmeerkat]

A thread for comically under-signed destinations might be equally interesting.
I would nominate Spalding which has virtually no signage from Peterborough's parkways, despite the two being connected by the section of the A16 newly constructed about 15 years ago, and also despite Spalding being a major destination for fruit and veg imports from Spain, etc.
Peterborough's road numbering is unfit for purpose but seems unlikely to be rectified given the City Council's lack of funds and the general feeling that the prevalence of sat navs means that no-one (except Sabre members) cares much at all about road numbers and destination signs.

Newtownabbey is Northern Ireland's largest town but isn't signposted anywhere. Even the motorways signpost areas / old villages (Glengormley, Whiteabbey etc) that became part of the town.

[wallmeerkat]

Maybe we should just stick with "Tay Bridge" then.

I can see the objections to using bridges as destinations, but as we've seen, the alternatives are pretty undesirable too. For every person who has no idea which bridge they want to use, there's probably several for whom the bridge is the only waypoint they're actually aware of. The other critical thing is that bridges sometimes close or become restricted. If I'm heading south from Dundee to Kirkcaldy and am told the Tay Bridge is shut and I must go via Perth, how long to do I need to wait (and ignore my stupid satnav that thinks the bridge is still open) before I can start trusting the signs to Kirkcaldy again? I suppose this was even more critical when the bridges were tolled.

Continue ahead to all the bridges!
Left for deepest darkest Fife

https://www.google.com/maps/@56.3419969 ... ?entry=ttu

[the cheesecake man]

Erskine Bridge is signed rather a lot, eg here in Stirling

[jnty]

Maybe we should just stick with "Tay Bridge" then.

I can see the objections to using bridges as destinations, but as we've seen, the alternatives are pretty undesirable too. For every person who has no idea which bridge they want to use, there's probably several for whom the bridge is the only waypoint they're actually aware of. The other critical thing is that bridges sometimes close or become restricted. If I'm heading south from Dundee to Kirkcaldy and am told the Tay Bridge is shut and I must go via Perth, how long to do I need to wait (and ignore my stupid satnav that thinks the bridge is still open) before I can start trusting the signs to Kirkcaldy again? I suppose this was even more critical when the bridges were tolled.

Continue ahead to all the bridges!
Left for deepest darkest Fife

https://www.google.com/maps/@56.3419969 ... ?entry=ttu

Ha that raises the spectre of the Kincardine Bridge, which nobody outside of a certain radius cares about until they suddenly really care about it...

[SouthWest Philip]

Erskine Bridge is signed rather a lot, eg here in Stirling

I would think Alexandria, Bonhill, or Dumbarton would be more useful destinations to sign along the A811? Also, the A811 isn't primary any more but I guess the use Erskine Bridge is a legacy of being the nearest primary destination to sign when it was.

Stirling to Erskine Bridge would generally be much quicker via the M80 and M8.

[WatcherZero]

When I moved to Bolton in 1998, everywhere I went there seemed to be a sign to the "Last Drop Village". When I eventually went to check out what I thought would be a big and exciting tourist attraction I discovered it appeared to be nothing other than a big hotel.

I'd love to know how they wangled those signs, I too used to wonder what this amazing place was - I'd thought maybe some industrial heritage or something, and nope, it's a hotel and wedding venue. Political interference can be the only explanation for it.

Mind you, Wigan Pier being prominently signed off the M61 and M6 makes me laugh too - it's a small museum and a pub.

The museum closed in 2007, its just remained signposted as a historical landmark. The Pier area has been recently refurbished as a drinks and event space but its opening has been continually pushed back due to the cash flow of the original developer (a charity) though the tenancy has now been passed on to a commercial event space developer.

[Sulzer:1999]

When M6Toll opened about 20 years ago, the A446 primary destination at the southern end was given as 'Wishaw' (a tiny village) instead of 'Lichfield' to entice drivers onto the new road rather than the free alternative.

I've lived in the area for over 30 years and I'm still not entirely certain where Wishaw is!

Wishaw is now known in the railway community as the location of ‘Rail Support Services’ have a yard there for the overhaul of Class 08 shunters that they hire out & for their low-loaders for moving them & other rolling stock around the country. Also some ‘preserved’ mainline diesels (Class 37 & 47) stored there.

[swissferry]

There have been a few new services signs added on the trunk roads recently, such as at Strathbogie and Ashgrove on the A96 and updated signs at Skiach.

And very useful to have when you're out in the wilderness of northern Scotland. It is a folly by highway planners to assume everyone drives around with sat navs telling them where facilities are.

I fully agree that signs advising that there are services / filling stations half a mile or more away are useful. However, my point with the ones near Oban is that you come round the corner in either direction, see the Esso canopy, and THEN see the signs advising that the filling station is a mere 200yds away. Even when it's dark, if the garage is open it is well illuminated and visible. There's nowhere else for traffic to go, except into or past the garage, so why the need for the signs?

3 road signs for filling station on A907:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/y8yBe9y5672P4ifA7
https://maps.app.goo.gl/WJUCqh42KWN8gj7A8
https://maps.app.goo.gl/jzY5SBFND4ob5msB6

[rhyds]

Randomly I know exactly where that station is! I usually stop there for a fill-up on the way back from Knockhill

[Dan Lockton]

Randomly I know exactly where that station is! I usually stop there for a fill-up on the way back from Knockhill

That garage has an intriguing recent history — in the earlier Streetview images it's intriguingly branded as "Motor Vehicle Protection Association — Member Vehicles Only" — https://maps.app.goo.gl/ac8yBYKs3rgZ5xkFA — which led me down an interesting research rabbithole... https://www.heraldscotland.com/default_ ... s-inquiry/ + https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-w ... er-1018180

[Nwallace]

I can see the objections to using bridges as destinations, but as we've seen, the alternatives are pretty undesirable too. For every person who has no idea which bridge they want to use, there's probably several for whom the bridge is the only waypoint they're actually aware of. The other critical thing is that bridges sometimes close or become restricted. If I'm heading south from Dundee to Kirkcaldy and am told the Tay Bridge is shut and I must go via Perth, how long to do I need to wait (and ignore my stupid satnav that thinks the bridge is still open) before I can start trusting the signs to Kirkcaldy again? I suppose this was even more critical when the bridges were tolled.

Continue ahead to all the bridges!
Left for deepest darkest Fife

https://www.google.com/maps/@56.3419969 ... ?entry=ttu

Ha that raises the spectre of the Kincardine Bridge, which nobody outside of a certain radius cares about until they suddenly really care about it...

that was my main route West from Wormit until the new bridge was built.

had I lived the other end of Newport it would have been the A90-A9-M80

now with the westward turn off the M90 I just head for the M8 from freuchie.
dunnoh what way it would have been from here if it was still the A8000 nightmare.

Sent from my IV2201 using Tapatalk

[wallmeerkat]

Continue ahead to all the bridges!
Left for deepest darkest Fife

https://www.google.com/maps/@56.3419969 ... ?entry=ttu

Ha that raises the spectre of the Kincardine Bridge, which nobody outside of a certain radius cares about until they suddenly really care about it...

that was my main route West from Wormit until the new bridge was built.

had I lived the other end of Newport it would have been the A90-A9-M80

now with the westward turn off the M90 I just head for the M8 from freuchie.
dunnoh what way it would have been from here if it was still the A8000 nightmare.

Sent from my IV2201 using Tapatalk

Would've done Stranraer ferry - East Fife a few times a year about 20 years ago, M77-M8-FRB-A92 was my preferred route, Kincardine seemed to involve endless stretches of S2