The most annoying part of the A303? It's not Stone Henge....

[PorkRind]

e21Mark said:

People's inability to merge from 2 lanes down to 1, is possibly the biggest cause of tail backs I think?

If I'm in a hurry I usually travel overnight. I still enjoy pressing on without the hassle of traffic and get there quicker than I would using the M4/M5.

The last few times its been people literally stopping on the bit by the stones to take photos...

[Geekman]

thecremeegg said:

A5 by Ty Nant - only place to overtake for miles and there's seemingly always a mobile camera van at the bottom of the hill!

That's exactly what I thought of before I opened this thread. My dad got caught there a few months back - he was clocked at 72 in a 60 overtaking a line of lorries, caravans, and 40mph drivers.

[Dr Murdoch]

Durzel said:

1

Few of these around Bristol too. Why is having less visibility of a junction a good thing?

Too much visibility = fast approach speeds (I assume, as I haven't actually seen this junction myself)

I assume that following a series of kerb strikes and / or junction overshoots it was felt that the only (well, cost effective) way of reducing speeds was to reduce visibility on entry. I say 'cost effective' as realigning the RB and approach would cost serious bucks.

It does work, however it should of been designed properly in the 1st place.

[The Ors]

Johnnytheboy said:

Ah yes, Chicklade.

Twinned with nearby Limpley Stoke (for obvious reasons ;-) )

[e21Mark]

Just came down the 303 from London and it was excellent. No traffic to speak of and able to get quite a lick on for the most part. Added bonus was the sun being out.

[xjay1337]

Driven up and down it a fair amount over the last few years.
It's much more fun to use than going M4 -> M5!

I agree the speed camera is particularly annoying however the rest of the road is pretty good!

[cptsideways]

I live just down the road from this bit of road, timing is everything. Camera appears to not go off at a GPS 70 cough.


However

PorkRind said:

The last few times its been people literally stopping on the bit by the stones to take photos...

Ahh the wonders that be, moving the visitor center & all signage to the f%^$%£$%ing West side of Stonehenge. So as pointed out all the muppets stop on the A303 & take a picture!

Check out all the skid marks on that section past the stones. I have now seen at least 20 shunts on that bit this past year, there have also been a couple of very serious ones too.

[66mpg]

I went past that camera on Monday on my way to Street. I managed to pass a 7.5t truck and the tail-gating limpet ahead of me on this hill without exceeding 60mph in a mk1 a Diesel Yaris. I don't think you could pass many more vehicles in the space available without going over 60.

[cptsideways]

66mpg said:

I went past that camera on Monday on my way to Street. I managed to pass a 7.5t truck and the tail-gating limpet ahead of me on this hill without exceeding 60mph in a mk1 a Diesel Yaris. I don't think you could pass many more vehicles in the space available without going over 60.

Except the heavies will often be down to 25mph up that hill followed by all the muppets up its backside

[Johnnytheboy]

cptsideways said:

Ahh the wonders that be, moving the visitor center & all signage to the f%^$%£$%ing West side of Stonehenge. So as pointed out all the muppets stop on the A303 & take a picture!

Check out all the skid marks on that section past the stones. I have now seen at least 20 shunts on that bit this past year, there have also been a couple of very serious ones too.

It's OK because David Cameron promised us a new road past Stonehenge at the last election.

[e21Mark]

cptsideways said:

I live just down the road from this bit of road, timing is everything. Camera appears to not go off at a GPS 70 cough.

I went through at fair lick and no flash today.

[roadie]

Ah the highway to the sun. It can be a lovely road.

[cptsideways]

Until the caravanners come out & block it like today

[Tdibax15]

caiss4 said:

If that camera is in Wiltshire then it isn't an issue. Wiltshire's cameras have been decommissioned for quite a few years now. Bit like the cameras near Solstice Park; the boxes are there but no cameras for at least 4/5 years.

Is this true to this day?

[MightyBadger]

JordanTurbo said:

Evening.

I've recently been spending some time commuting backwards and forwards along the A303 between Yeovil and Andover.

Anyone who uses the road regulary, or has ever made a trip to the south west for a bank holiday, will know the nightmare that the A303 past Stone Henge can be. But that's not the part of the drive that annoys me, as the timings of my work normally miss the worst of the jams.

What annoys me is the bit south of Warminster, westbound, just before the A350.

Picture the scene almost every day....

Typical slow truck/van/pensioner up front. You are 3 or 4 cars back, and followers 1 & 2 are unable/unwilling to overtake. There is a resulting tailback as you can imagine.

You get to this bit of road.

[Img]http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/ac39/bridges0709/20160426_091823_zps2pzd5rib.png[/thumb]

"Great" you think, "I can get past all of them and have some clear road for the rest of my trip" "It's a steep hill, but I have a PH worthy car. I can make it"

Unfortunatly not. Because some fk nugget thought it would be a good idea to put a speed camera half way up the hill!

[Img]http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/ac39/bridges0709/Screenshot_20160415-103506_zpslzxt5lk5.jpg[/thumb]

So you can get past a couple of cars, then have to slow down, wait, pass the camera, and then complete your overtake on the remaining steep part of the hill with no momentum.

[Img]http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/ac39/bridges0709/Screenshot_20160415-103645_zpsdhv5qwgq.jpg[/thumb]

Stupid, stupid bit of road!

Anyone else have an extra annoying camera localy?

Edited by JordanTurbo on Tuesday 26th April 19:36

If you are in a 328 then drop it down a gear or two, shouldn’t have a lack of momentum then.

[10126 Torino]

MightyBadger said:

If you are in a 328 then drop it down a gear or two, shouldn’t have a lack of momentum then.

LOL , saw 328 ,thought Ferrari , wrong , BMW .
5 year old thread , his 328 could be a Coke can now .

[normalbloke]

Tdibax15 said:

caiss4 said:

If that camera is in Wiltshire then it isn't an issue. Wiltshire's cameras have been decommissioned for quite a few years now. Bit like the cameras near Solstice Park; the boxes are there but no cameras for at least 4/5 years.

Is this true to this day?

How fast were you going....?

[scorcher]

Tdibax15 said:

caiss4 said:

If that camera is in Wiltshire then it isn't an issue. Wiltshire's cameras have been decommissioned for quite a few years now. Bit like the cameras near Solstice Park; the boxes are there but no cameras for at least 4/5 years.

Is this true to this day?

All the old style gatso's that would require film manually putting in them were decomissioned years ago in Somerset. The digital ones are active though (taller post with a smaller box)

It actually appears there are no active cameras in Wiltshire.


https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/foi-...

Avon and Somerset

https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/request/spee...

[No Shields]

I Live in Wilts and don't think the cameras have been turned back on after:

https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/8308916.sp...

Been passed it many times without incident and don't know of any friends receiving a fine etc. anywhere in Wilts from a fixed Gatso.

This answer to a request for information, may shed more light:

https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/foi-...

Goes without saying, I'm not suggesting you break the speed limit and make further investigations yourself to confirm my presumptions.

[king arthur]

How long before there are average cameras all the way along?