Local Road Projects

[droopsnoot]

End of October has come and gone, end of November is almost upon us, and I can't see that any work has been done on the connecting ends of this road for months.

Some new planning applications were put in for this road at the end of March, which suggests there is some movement. One of them is for the pedestrian crossing that was said to be the original cause for the delay in opening, and it turns out that the whole point of it is not for those who "don't like" the underpass, but because there is currently a public right of way across where the new road goes, which has to be maintained. Another application is for street lighting - the road currently has none, and I forget the third one. So maybe it will open this year.

The underpass is on the current public right of way which heads towards the left of Reaseheath equestrian centre. The other ROW, runs across to the roundabout itself and is shown on the plans to continue to do that. All they are doing is now adding a crossing right by the roundabout to presumably allow people to cross towards the college and the old road. What this will cause is queues onto the roundabout, despite the inclusion of 'keep clear' writing. Lighting is just going to add to the light pollution for those houses nearby which is pointless, though I understand the current road has lighting along the Reaseheath length.

A Facebook post the other day says that CEC are hoping for work to start on this road in Spring with a view to it opening this summer.

[montyburns56]

"Trafford Council to press on with £76.5m 'New Carrington' road"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... r-68219737

[JammyDodge]

Don't think it's been mentioned, but North Tyneside Council is currently building/upgrading the seafront with a decent cycle track, from Front Street, Tynemouth to St Mary's Lighthouse.
Phase 1 is well under way, which is Front Street to Beach Road. Should be finished by end of spring
I believe the aspiration is to link it to Fish Quay on the Tyne in the long run

Funded by Active Travel Fund

[jgharston]

What on earth is this????


Driving instructors say Brighton Hill Roundabout makes no sense

[Chris5156]

What on earth is this????


Driving instructors say Brighton Hill Roundabout makes no sense

I think the only sensible answer to that question is “a junction that should have been turned into something other than a roundabout”

[Bryn666]

It isn't hard to design a spiral roundabout, so why are people so bad at it?

[roadphotos]

It looks like a new roundabout has opened on the A1307 2 months ahead of schedule, it is hoped that the Bartlow Road Roundabout at Linton will reduce accidents along the A1307 between Cambridge and Haverhill.

[AnOrdinarySABREUser]

What on earth is this????


Driving instructors say Brighton Hill Roundabout makes no sense

A cyclist hamburger inside of a motorist roundabout inside of another cyclist roundabout, all inside of a pedestrian pathway circling the roundabout. Roundabout-ception.

[jgharston]

What on earth is this????


Driving instructors say Brighton Hill Roundabout makes no sense

A cyclist hamburger inside of a motorist roundabout inside of another cyclist roundabout, all inside of a pedestrian pathway circling the roundabout. Roundabout-ception.

Wow, so cyclists have to cross a 1,2,3,4... 5-lane roundabout to get to the centre roundabout, then cross five lanes again to escape it? Madness!

[Peter Freeman]

^ Even without that bike-way nonsense, this is at the extreme end of the roundabout obsession.

The elliptical space here, with an island formerly full of trees, now full of grass and a silly bike hamburger, has a major axis of 150m. That's enough space for two consecutive 4-way crosses, one at the north end and one at the south end, with coordinated signals. They could handle the six arms, in a clear, rational and drivable way - and could include standard signalised crossings for bikes and pedestrians.

[jnty]

Taking the roundabout as a given, the cycleway isn't too bad. At least it acknowledges that bikes are different from cars and the circulatory carriageway can operate bidirectionally, a desire line shortcut is provided, and no bike/pedestrian-only junctions are signalised. It also permits movements outside or inside the roundabout. Crossing might be frustratingly slow at peak times when phases are long, but it will at least be safe and relatively straightforward, making it better than thousands of others in the UK.

[FleetlinePhil]

"Trafford Council to press on with £76.5m 'New Carrington' road"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... r-68219737

It looks a sensible option, in all honesty - the existing A6144 has always been hopeless. Even with my birdwatchers hat on, the amount of farmland lost at the very eastern edge seems bearable: I'm sure it will have a small detrimental wildlife impact, although maybe not as much as the idiots with air rifles that used to cause disturbance in the Mersey meadows.

However, building large numbers of houses in Carrington, admittedly on a brownfield site, still strikes me as slightly misguided. Even if the buses benefitted from the new road, realistically it is an awfully long public transport commute to central Manchester, or even perhaps the Trafford Centre. So is it just inevitably creating extra car traffic, one wonders?

Trafford Council's 2021 report on the preferred option is here if anybody wants more detail.

[swissferry]

What on earth is this????


Driving instructors say Brighton Hill Roundabout makes no sense

If it's on a test route then I'd expect the examiners to advise instructors what they expect.

Learners still need to be taught how to drive safely on the road even if the signs and markings are confusing or contradictory, otherwise how will they cope when they encounter a roundabout like this for the first time after they've passed their test?

[Herned]

^ Even without that bike-way nonsense, this is at the extreme end of the roundabout obsession.

Bike-way nonsense?

[Peter Freeman]

^ Even without that bike-way nonsense, this is at the extreme end of the roundabout obsession.

Bike-way nonsense?

Sorry - I'll withdraw "nonsense".

[Bryn666]

^ Even without that bike-way nonsense, this is at the extreme end of the roundabout obsession.

Bike-way nonsense?

I'd argue it would've been more intuitive for cyclists to just be given a simple crossroads in the middle instead of some Byzantine hamburger wannabe. Such junctions are a mess - must be better ways to do them?

[Patrick Harper]

I drove around that roundabout twice yesterday.

I did not see a single soul inside it.