Single carriageway speed limit

[speedking31]

1. Can a single carriageway road have a different speed limit in each direction?
2. Do they ever?

There is an NSL lane near me where the signs at one end were removed for maintenance. They were re-instated (18 months ago) with only the 40mph sign for leaving the NSL, not the NSL sign for entering the lane. At the other end of the lane the signs are unaltered 40 + NSL on opposite sides of the pole, indicating thet the lane is NSL. I believe the lane to be NSL in both directions, but the signage does not confirm this. Could it be 40 one way and NSL the other?

[Scuffers]

don;t know if it's legal or not, but I know of a couple of places where this is the case...

[Dwight VanDriver]

Inspection of the relevant Traffic Order covering that section of road will define the limit AND
the length.

dvd

[Grommit]

There's a bit of road near me with different speed limit signs on either side of the road. (Both facing the same way)

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=LLanbedr&oe=ut...

Edited by Grommit on Thursday 7th March 18:07

[streaky]

IIRC from the last time this was raised, it is not lawful to have different limits in each direction on a single carriageway.

For example, if one did, it would raise the dichotomy of which limit applies to a vehicle overtaking another on the opposite side of the road: the limit in the direction of travel, or the limit on the side of the road.

DCs can have different limits in each direction, but I would hazard that any SCs that appear so to do are that way because of an error in or absence of signing.

Streaky

[Nimby]

Is there an exception for roadworks?
There are currently roadworks on the Longbarrow Roundabout on the A303 (between Stonehenge and Winterbourne Stoke).

A temporary 40mph limit starts half a mile before approaching the roundabout east or west, but ends with NSL and "roadworks end" signs almost immediately you exit. This stretch of the A303 is (notoriously) single-carriageway.

[streaky]

Nimby said:

Is there an exception for roadworks?
There are currently roadworks on the Longbarrow Roundabout on the A303 (between Stonehenge and Winterbourne Stoke).

A temporary 40mph limit starts half a mile before approaching the roundabout east or west, but ends with NSL and "roadworks end" signs almost immediately you exit. This stretch of the A303 is (notoriously) single-carriageway.

Are you saying that the stretch of roadworks is 40 in one direction but another limit in the other ... within the roadworks sections either side of the roundabout?

If so, it's most likely a contractor's error (e.g. signage not erected, or wrong signage erected) or oversight (e.g. signage (re)moved and same not noticed).

Streaky

[Nimby]

streaky said:

Are you saying that the stretch of roadworks is 40 in one direction but another limit in the other ... within the roadworks sections either side of the roundabout?

Streaky

Yes - exactly that; 40 approaching the roundabout and NSL/60 leaving. It makes sense too - why be forced to stick to 40 once you're past the hazard?

[streaky]

Nimby said:

streaky said:

Are you saying that the stretch of roadworks is 40 in one direction but another limit in the other ... within the roadworks sections either side of the roundabout?

Streaky

Yes - exactly that; 40 approaching the roundabout and NSL/60 leaving. It makes sense too - why be forced to stick to 40 once you're past the hazard?

X 2

The roadworks are the hazard, so you're not past it. Is there any chance you could draw a diagram?

Streaky

[Nimby]

streaky said:

X 2

The roadworks are the hazard, so you're not past it. Is there any chance you could draw a diagram?

Streaky

You are - the roadworks are taking place on the roundabout only - extra lanes for the new Stonehenge Visitors' Centre.

[streaky]

Nimby said:

streaky said:

X 2

The roadworks are the hazard, so you're not past it. Is there any chance you could draw a diagram?

Streaky

You are - the roadworks are taking place on the roundabout only - extra lanes for the new Stonehenge Visitors' Centre.

Thx. It would be interesting to see the RTO.

Assuming all is correct with the RTO and the limits are as indicated by the signage, then a temporary speed limit can be different on either side of an SC. Which, assuming no continuous white line dividing the opposing lanes, raises the issue of which limit applies to an overtaking vehicle.

Streaky

[Deva Link]

speedking31 said:

They were re-instated (18 months ago) with only the 40mph sign for leaving the NSL, not the NSL sign for entering the lane.

I don't think there needs to be signs for NSL - the road defaults to NSL if there isn't a system of streetlights and there aren't signs to say otherwise.