Biggest improvement personally
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Biggest improvement personally
SABRE users, time for a bit of positivity.
What has been the biggest improvement to your local network in the last two decades? Might be something minor like a protected turn at a traffic light which makes your commute slightly easier, or a major thing like a new junction or bypass?
What has been the biggest improvement to your local network in the last two decades? Might be something minor like a protected turn at a traffic light which makes your commute slightly easier, or a major thing like a new junction or bypass?
- Ruperts Trooper
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Re: Biggest improvement personally
The biggest improvement in my locality is the opening of the A5 Tamworth by-pass, formally known as Fazeley, Two Gates and Wilnecote Bypass although the widening of the M42 Jct 10 northbound off-slip from 2 to 5 lanes runs a close second.
Lifelong motorhead
Re: Biggest improvement personally
M6 Toll.
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Re: Biggest improvement personally
A14 Huntington to Cambridge hands down.
And then I moved away!
And then I moved away!
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Re: Biggest improvement personally
The M65 opening in 1997 was an absolute game changer for everything growing up. Probably not the biggest personal improvement but definitely the biggest improvement for Blackburn, which the local authority then squandered, but that's another story.
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
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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: Biggest improvement personally
A1(M) conversion to three lanes in North Yorkshire. That stretch of road may be dull but it is so easy to drive. A relief between narrow A1/A1(M) in Durham and South Yorkshire.
On a smaller scale, the re-design and signalling of Leazes Bowl and Milburngate junctions on the A690 in Durham have made the flow of traffic on my side of the city much more reliable, with much shorter rush hour queues
On a smaller scale, the re-design and signalling of Leazes Bowl and Milburngate junctions on the A690 in Durham have made the flow of traffic on my side of the city much more reliable, with much shorter rush hour queues
- ravenbluemoon
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Re: Biggest improvement personally
Locally, the A46 dualling has been quite a game changer. The A1-Lincoln stretch always used to be a stinker until it was dualled, now it seems to take no time at all. The Widmerpool to Newark bit is also a great bit of road compared to the old "40mph behind a truck/tractor/Doris" S2. When I worked in Nottingham I'd go the back roads via Southwell in order to avoid it. Nowadays it's a no-brainer to get over to Saxondale Island and onto the A46. Fingers crossed for the Newark Bypass upgrades.
An honourable mention for the A617 Mansfield bypass. Ok, I'll often give it grief as it's woefully underspecced for what it should be. But it made travel times a bit more reliable on my old commute, and saved me having to "rat-run" to get across town.
An honourable mention for the A617 Mansfield bypass. Ok, I'll often give it grief as it's woefully underspecced for what it should be. But it made travel times a bit more reliable on my old commute, and saved me having to "rat-run" to get across town.
Tony Alice (they,them)
~~~~~
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~~~~~
Owner of a classic rust heap/money pit, and other unremarkable older vehicles.
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Re: Biggest improvement personally
A30 Blackwater bypass and the new Chivvy Roundabout. Circa 1989. Totally rewrote times of arrival across Cornwall. After that you can throw in Indian Queens, Goss Moor and Temple. I would say between them they have shaved about an hour or more off a journey from Penzance to Exeter. Even more in the summer.
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Re: Biggest improvement personally
AWPR, without a doubt. Outwith the last two decades criteria for this thread for me personally though would have been the straightening of the B979 Stonehaven to Maryculter road at Netherley in 1989. The route previously took dog legs through a farm and adjacent fields & was a real improvement on a busy route.
Also just sprung to mind was the bypassing of another farm at Mains of Drum on the A93 near Drumoak around this time, this followed the tragic death of two young drivers whom I had been to school with.There had been other accidents at this bend, including one well known local character who had come off the road & rolled into a field. When recovering his vehicle he discovered that someone had stolen his Daniel O’Donnel cassettes and for some reason apportioned blame on my 17 year old brother…
Murray Duncan
Also just sprung to mind was the bypassing of another farm at Mains of Drum on the A93 near Drumoak around this time, this followed the tragic death of two young drivers whom I had been to school with.There had been other accidents at this bend, including one well known local character who had come off the road & rolled into a field. When recovering his vehicle he discovered that someone had stolen his Daniel O’Donnel cassettes and for some reason apportioned blame on my 17 year old brother…
Murray Duncan
Re: Biggest improvement personally
Biggest improvement : Limehouse Link/A13, giving a new through route from Tower Bridge to the M25. Opened progressively but last bit in 2005.
Biggest negative : Putting the cycleway on The Embankment in London, which has created congestion all day, and often well into the night, as well.
Biggest negative : Putting the cycleway on The Embankment in London, which has created congestion all day, and often well into the night, as well.
Re: Biggest improvement personally
Completion of the A11 dualling with the Elveden bypass
And, though I hate to admit it, the Norwich northern bypass (aka the NDR, A1270 or Broadland Northway) is proving very useful
And, though I hate to admit it, the Norwich northern bypass (aka the NDR, A1270 or Broadland Northway) is proving very useful
Re: Biggest improvement personally
A1(M) Wetherby to Leeming Bar without a doubt , it turned what was a narrow D2 road with side accesses into a pleasure to drive and replaced the horrible old round about interchange for the M62 into a rather nice GSJ
All they need too do now is the Doncaster Bypass and Redhouse to Darrington
All they need too do now is the Doncaster Bypass and Redhouse to Darrington
Re: Biggest improvement personally
Same here. Despite the dodgy junctions and so on, it's still a very impressive piece of road and makes getting around much easier.
Owen Rudge
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- Ritchie333
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Re: Biggest improvement personally
In the last 20 years, it's probably East Kent Access, involving substantial upgrades to the A299 and A256 and making access to Thanet much easier (or, if you prefer, much easier to get away from). Shame the A28 north of the A299 towards Birchington got kitted out with 50mph SPECS, but them's the breaks.
Beyond the next two decades, the M20 being completed between junctions 8 and 9. At one point, going to Folkestone for a continental ferry in the summer in the mid-1980s, I thought it was never going to be finished.
Beyond the next two decades, the M20 being completed between junctions 8 and 9. At one point, going to Folkestone for a continental ferry in the summer in the mid-1980s, I thought it was never going to be finished.
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Re: Biggest improvement personally
The improvements of the A14 around Cambridge & towards Huntingdon. I moved here after they were done but as I understand it, it was a bloody awful and congested road beforehand.
Re: Biggest improvement personally
How local's local? I've only lived in my current house for seven years. In the wider area (not that I go that way all that often) the widening of the south western parts of the M60 helped a bit. Further afield, but on a route I used to travel very regularly, removing the short two lane stretches of the M6 at J32 helped a lot.
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Re: Biggest improvement personally
Definitely the A1(M) M62 to A66, previously narrow D2, often congested around Wetherby, I spent my daily work trip stuck on it, using where the D3M drop back to D2 at Walshford, then further north it had tractors, trucks side by side, property access, pedestrians and often either closed by accidents or just congestion!
Now it’s fantastic although some might say dull trust me after getting stuck daily on the old D2 it’s absolutely fantastic, a massive improvement!
Now it’s fantastic although some might say dull trust me after getting stuck daily on the old D2 it’s absolutely fantastic, a massive improvement!
- Chris Bertram
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Re: Biggest improvement personally
I've appreciated A1(M) Dishforth to Leeming and Leeming to Barton on my regular visits to the NE. The A1 was a bit undercapacity and dicey in other ways too. Looking forward to Darrington to Red House whenever that gets the go-ahead, but the older bits of A1(M) now look like the weak links.
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Re: Biggest improvement personally
Yes, I did most of the A1 / A1(M) yesterday southbound (Edinburgh to Black Cat). There were no fewer than four lots of roadworks between north of Newcastle and Scotch Corner : the NW section of the Newcastle bypass, around the Angel of the North junction, between J61 and J60, and then on the Darlington bypass stretch. Most of that section is still D2 or D2M and generally busy, so the modern mostly D3M stretch from Scotch Corner to Darrington without roadworks or delays came as a relief. After Darrington it was back to the congestion of D2 and D2M with added dodginess from flat junctions at many points, but my experience is that the County Durham and M62 - M18 sections are the highest priority for additional capacity now.Chris Bertram wrote: ↑Tue Apr 26, 2022 18:09 I've appreciated A1(M) Dishforth to Leeming and Leeming to Barton on my regular visits to the NE. The A1 was a bit undercapacity and dicey in other ways too. Looking forward to Darrington to Red House whenever that gets the go-ahead, but the older bits of A1(M) now look like the weak links.
Owen
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Re: Biggest improvement personally
Bit more of a local scheme than many others are mentioning, but the A361 Barnstaple western bypass was a game changer when it opened in 2007. There's no doubt that traffic levels have grown significantly along with new developments, as per usual, but with only a few tweaks needed at a couple of junctions since, things have remained remarkably smooth, and long gone are the days of it taking 2 hours to cross town in a wet school holiday!