Use of rear entrances to Motorway Services
Discussion
Frankley services the signs iirc allow guests at the Travelodge to use the special exits and entrances. Northbound enter N services, exit on emergency vehicle exit, cross motorway on public road, enter southbound services on special entrance. Reverse when leaving, but it was signed last time I used it.
JonRB said:
Yes, what was with the A3 and M3 yesterday? Every time we drove over a bridge that crossed either of them it was chocka down below.
All the people that had the last 2 weeks of July off on the south coast going home - particularly Dorset and the New Forest. Happens most weekends in the summer.....
Glen
I could have dreamed this - but isn't the illegality to do with you only being able to enter and leave a motorway by the proper access routes, and the service area isn't a proper access route?
There's a barrier controlled one near me where they will let you in to buy petrol but they're always at pains to point out that you can't then go on to the motorway.
There's a barrier controlled one near me where they will let you in to buy petrol but they're always at pains to point out that you can't then go on to the motorway.
mechsympathy said:
There's a similar situation at Leigh Delamere, with an electric barrier on the westbound side. The 3 digit code (presumably to be memorable for the emergency services) might have been 999
Suspect its also for use by Service Station staff. Was always the case at Taunton Deane on M5 where I worked during my summer hols as a kid. Once my parents found out about it, they used it to get on/off motorway.
There's a great exit at the back of the northbound Keele services on the M5 that takes you to within a mile of the universtity. Very useful as we were nearly always late for an annual 5-a-side tournament and the official motorway exit is about 10 miles away. Always checked carefully that no-one was looking first though!
Regarding no entry signs etc, I believe that these cannot be enforceable as they stand, as otherwise ALL traffic (including tow trucks, staff etc) would have to respect them. I think its a bluff to dissuade the public from using them.
The one mentioned in the OP is particularly handy for my parents, as Michealwood services is actually the nearest shop to their house. Good for the odd pint of milk or newspaper...
Some services go a bit further, e.g. the Membrey services on the M4: there's a small bridge over the motorway that can save a long round trip if you've missed your junction but the back entrance that leads to it has a barrier that is sometimes manned but more usually open.
The one mentioned in the OP is particularly handy for my parents, as Michealwood services is actually the nearest shop to their house. Good for the odd pint of milk or newspaper...
Some services go a bit further, e.g. the Membrey services on the M4: there's a small bridge over the motorway that can save a long round trip if you've missed your junction but the back entrance that leads to it has a barrier that is sometimes manned but more usually open.
Sandbach services exits are good as they avoid a poorly designed junction 17
knutsford north bound was always blocked with the queue of cars waiting to get on the motorway rather than drive to the junction so they put up a barrier with a code, south bound, you have to drive past the police post but no one ever seems to mind
knutsford north bound was always blocked with the queue of cars waiting to get on the motorway rather than drive to the junction so they put up a barrier with a code, south bound, you have to drive past the police post but no one ever seems to mind
GlenMH said:
JonRB said:
Yes, what was with the A3 and M3 yesterday? Every time we drove over a bridge that crossed either of them it was chocka down below.
All the people that had the last 2 weeks of July off on the south coast going home - particularly Dorset and the New Forest. Happens most weekends in the summer.....
Glen
there was an accident on m3 betw j3 and m25 and it was closed for a while, backing everything up nearly to j5
TedMaul said:
mechsympathy said:
There's a similar situation at Leigh Delamere, with an electric barrier on the westbound side. The 3 digit code (presumably to be memorable for the emergency services) might have been 999
Suspect its also for use by Service Station staff. Was always the case at Taunton Deane on M5 where I worked during my summer hols as a kid. Once my parents found out about it, they used it to get on/off motorway.
my Grandpa used to, too - I need to look for that for when I visit Grandma
I have a vague recollection, that there was a picture of one of our resident traffic officer's vehicles balanced on an automatic barrier at one of these exits?
If I'm correct, the barrier had ANPR, so only authorised vehicles could leave the services, or a solid barrier would raise from the road surface and prevent exit - trouble was, said police vehicle was new, and hadn't been registered? Think it was at South Mimms - of course all of this could be wrong ....
If I'm correct, the barrier had ANPR, so only authorised vehicles could leave the services, or a solid barrier would raise from the road surface and prevent exit - trouble was, said police vehicle was new, and hadn't been registered? Think it was at South Mimms - of course all of this could be wrong ....
I was using the 'back door' at Fleet services on the M3 to get to Farnborough Airfield for a meeting, as I had often done, when I met a police traffic car coming in the other way. As it was narrow we both had to stop and I could see the occupants looking at me suspiciously. I wound down my window, stopped alongside and said,"Hello, how are you? I haven't seen you for ages. You do look well". He replied, "Thanks, I'm fine, nice to see you again". I don't know who he thought I was, but we both just drove off.
cooperman said:
I was using the 'back door' at Fleet services on the M3 to get to Farnborough Airfield for a meeting, as I had often done, when I met a police traffic car coming in the other way. As it was narrow we both had to stop and I could see the occupants looking at me suspiciously. I wound down my window, stopped alongside and said,"Hello, how are you? I haven't seen you for ages. You do look well". He replied, "Thanks, I'm fine, nice to see you again". I don't know who he thought I was, but we both just drove off.
Many years ago had a visit to the police/traffic control centre at Heston service station on the M4. After the visit was completed the police guide told us don't worry going down the M4 to the next junction to turn round, just use the back back entrance, we can't stop you from using it anyway!
10 Pence Short said:
From memory there was a recent case on the A58 between Wetherby and Leeds where a speeding prosecution failed due to non-conforming signs (again from memory, these indeed had the yellow backing with conforming sign as an 'inset'.).
TSRGD has been updated to allow a whole variety of backing boards. They do need to be square, however, not round -- otherwise they are considered an extended border of the sign.
Don't No entry signs need to be both sides of the carriageway?
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