Diversions 2023

SteveA30 · Post by **SteveA30** » Thu Jan 12, 2023 20:31

January 12, an early start to the season. A closure both ways just west of Honiton, from 07.30 - 17.30

Note how the old A30 curves right to join the A30, with a left turn to continue along the old road to Fairmile. Also, the lack of trees in 1988.

SteveA30 · Post by **SteveA30** » Thu Jan 12, 2023 20:38

It's raining again
Again, the lack of trees in the 1995 view. The then traditional holiday queue for the end of the D2 westbound.
There wasn't that much traffic on the old road. The official route was via A375/A3052 which was hardly used according to traffic maps. Ottery St Mary was jammed from all sides and a lorry took down a tree. The A30 from the east was sent into Honiton for a while before someone realised that coming off the bypass at the west end was more sensible. You still had to go through an industrial estate to reach the old parallel A30 though.
At the west end, the road was closed at Daisy Mount Cross, B3180, at the top of the hill, instead of at Feniton, which wasn't corrected. As that meant using more of the old road via Fairmile, I was fine with that.....

SteveA30 · Post by **SteveA30** » Thu Jan 12, 2023 20:43

A dog walker tried to cross the road at 7am, was hit, possibly by the van in the distance on the slip road. There seems to be a footpath alongside the road on the right.

Honiton was well jammed

This was the 4th div since December but, the others were also in continuous rain and just before dark as well. Two west of Exeter and one off the M3 J4A to J5, which lasted until 5am.

trickstat · Post by **trickstat** » Thu Jan 12, 2023 21:36

SteveA30 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 20:38 It's raining again

I've set foot in Honiton twice and it chucked it down both times.

NICK 647063 · Post by **NICK 647063** » Fri Jan 13, 2023 17:04

trickstat wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 21:36
SteveA30 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 20:38 It's raining again
I've set foot in Honiton twice and it chucked it down both times.

I spent 5 years of my life in Devon, Honiton and Plymouth the rain depressed me, honestly the difference between West and East of the UK is crazy….. even where I live now in Yorkshire if you go into the Dales over Hawes way too far west it’s far wetter than where I live near Doncaster currently which seems to get a 3rd of the rain Plymouth gets.

Bomag · Post by **Bomag** » Fri Jan 13, 2023 17:56

NICK 647063 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 13, 2023 17:04
trickstat wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 21:36
SteveA30 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 20:38 It's raining again
I've set foot in Honiton twice and it chucked it down both times.
I spent 5 years of my life in Devon, Honiton and Plymouth the rain depressed me, honestly the difference between West and East of the UK is crazy….. even where I live now in Yorkshire if you go into the Dales over Hawes way too far west it’s far wetter than where I live near Doncaster currently which seems to get a 3rd of the rain Plymouth gets.

Luckily for the residents of the NW of the West Riding (not to be confused with West Yorkshire Met) that bit of Yorkshire extends quite a bit to the west. Hawes is the same longitude as the centre of Manchester but does not suffer the same problems.

solocle · Post by **solocle** » Fri Jan 13, 2023 21:41

SteveA30 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 20:38 It's raining again
Again, the lack of trees in the 1995 view. The then traditional holiday queue for the end of the D2 westbound.
There wasn't that much traffic on the old road. The official route was via A375/A3052 which was hardly used according to traffic maps. Ottery St Mary was jammed from all sides and a lorry took down a tree. The A30 from the east was sent into Honiton for a while before someone realised that coming off the bypass at the west end was more sensible. You still had to go through an industrial estate to reach the old parallel A30 though.
At the west end, the road was closed at Daisy Mount Cross, B3180, at the top of the hill, instead of at Feniton, which wasn't corrected. As that meant using more of the old road via Fairmile, I was fine with that.....

I recognise that overbridge... Can you believe this was the August Bank Holiday?

No rain, though.

trickstat · Post by **trickstat** » Fri Jan 13, 2023 22:14

NICK 647063 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 13, 2023 17:04
trickstat wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 21:36
SteveA30 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 20:38 It's raining again
I've set foot in Honiton twice and it chucked it down both times.
I spent 5 years of my life in Devon, Honiton and Plymouth the rain depressed me, honestly the difference between West and East of the UK is crazy….. even where I live now in Yorkshire if you go into the Dales over Hawes way too far west it’s far wetter than where I live near Doncaster currently which seems to get a 3rd of the rain Plymouth gets.

I used to work in Stevenage, and had a colleague who came from Plymouth who was bemused when us locals stared out the window and commented when it rained very heavily as that was so commonplace in Plymouth.

Truvelo · Post by **Truvelo** » Sun Mar 05, 2023 22:11

N21 was closed Tuesday afternoon at Rathkeale due to a fatal on the bypass. Diverting traffic along this residential road resulted in total chaos.

SteveA30 · Post by **SteveA30** » Sat Apr 22, 2023 22:24

Another diversion, another rainy day.....
Old A30 Blackwater, Cornwall
Let's play the 'which side is the official diversion' game

A30 (W) was signed down the A390 to Truro but, the NH road closures page has this....

A30 eastbound Scorrier to Chiverton Cross carriageway closure
A30 westbound Chiverton Cross to Avers carriageway closure
21/04/2023
20:00
24/04/2023
06:00
Details
A30 both directions Scorrier to Chiverton Cross weekend carriageway closure for improvement scheme. Eastbound diversion via local road through Blackwater. Westbound diversion via local road through Blackwater and A3047 to Avers Jct.
The w/bnd queue was caused by the rbt with the B3298, which had a long approach queue, a much quicker div route than the NH, which can apparently only deal with A roads. The queue on the old A30 must still be quicker than a 17 mile diversion via Truro. A3047 is also old A30 along the first Redruth bypass.

I'm looking east so, the one on the right is unofficial.....

SteveA30 · Post by **SteveA30** » Sun May 28, 2023 21:15

Having noticed congestion before on the M3 at Popham at holiday times, I headed east instead of west to see what transpired. J8 seems to have been causing problems recently that I don't recall in earlier times, although before the web thingy, I wouldn't have known anyway. The weaving for 1 lane to A303 and 2 for M3 seems to be the cause.

No matter, the important thing is that this causes overspill onto the A30 from Hook, so I was in place ready and waiting. Nothing for a while so I ambled up the M3 from Black Dam to see if anything was happening. Sure enough at J7 at 10.56, they were grinding to a halt. A quick U-turn back to base, a check on the bridge nearby saw the queue building backwards underneath, a nice coffee and cake at the Corkers Garden Centre at London Rd. Hatch to pass the time. Waiting in the leafy car park, the first overspillers arrived quite suddenly and within 5 minutes a queue had formed from the Hatch signals, not there in the olden days. Just as it was though at the end of the D2 lane drop there, when summer queues formed. The longest being on this same day in May 1970, when they queued back from the A30/A33 split at Popham all the way to the Egham bypass, 35 miles.

SteveA30 · Post by **SteveA30** » Sun Jun 04, 2023 20:38

Usual overspill on Friday for homegoers via the old A30 from Pathfinder Village to Exeter. Taking less pics than I used to, only 20-30, showing remarkable restraint really.

SteveA30 · Post by **SteveA30** » Sun Jun 11, 2023 21:32

There appeared a sign from above. It said M3 closed J5-4A and seemed to be a ~~stairway~~ highway to heaven, so it proved.....
Every night and next weekend as well.

SteveA30 · Post by **SteveA30** » Sun Jun 11, 2023 21:40

The former D2 between Hook and Hartley Wintney, reduced to D1 about 2000-ish
One of 2 petrol stations in Hook

SteveA30 · Post by **SteveA30** » Sun Jun 11, 2023 23:15

3 more from a scorching day in Hampshire. Scorchio

SteveA30 · Post by **SteveA30** » Sun Jun 11, 2023 23:26

Queues were caused by the two mini rbts and a heavily used Pelican crossing. After that, the road was clear up Star Hill and on to J4A

SteveA30 · Post by **SteveA30** » Thu Jun 22, 2023 00:23

Coming down to Chepstow from Monmouth, an unexpected diversion was revealed on the old M4 Severn bridge, when it was congested just like in the olden days. M4 still closed now, at 00.20, all 5 lanes apparently....

First time I've seen a motorway diversion where the old road is also a motorway

DB617 · Post by **DB617** » Thu Jun 22, 2023 17:41

It was far worse when there were toll booths. I remember driving past a tanker in the verge of the westbound M4 before sunrise on the way to Brize Norton, returning late that afternoon after a joy-ride in a Globemaster and finding ourselves in a tailback that stretched most of the way to Swindon. When we reached the tolls, no more traffic! 2 hours on the jet, 7 hours on the bus trying to get back to Wales - wish they had just dropped us off at St Athan.

SteveA30 · Post by **SteveA30** » Thu Jun 22, 2023 21:48

Couldn't report on last weekends M3-A30 div until now but I expect a queue has formed. Oh, there isn't one. Well I'm doing it anyway so there. Passing over the M3 outside Fleet, the w/b side was at a standstill, while obviously the e/b was deserted. This meant overspill from 4A so, on to the A30. So it proved, providing an even more authentic experience than the previous w/end.