Road closures and cyclists
Discussion
Is it an offence for a cyclist to proceed through a 'road closed' sign? Likewise for a pedestrian (pushing a bike, say)?
Secondarily, does the precise scenario make a difference? For example a road closure due to a dangerous situation (e.g. burst gas main), police investigation following a serious incident, major roadworks, minor roadworks, or event (Jubilee celebration or bike event, say).
Ta!
Secondarily, does the precise scenario make a difference? For example a road closure due to a dangerous situation (e.g. burst gas main), police investigation following a serious incident, major roadworks, minor roadworks, or event (Jubilee celebration or bike event, say).
Ta!
The offence would be if it was a red circle around a white background. In that case it means ‘no vehicles except bicycles being pushed’.
The red rectangular sign with white writing, is for your information, and to avoid you having to turn round, however;
Travelling on the B4520 near Capel Uchaf, Powys, there was a yellow ‘road ahead closed’ sign, then a red with white writing ‘Road Closed’. I continued, and they were putting in a new cattle grid in, but they had a muddy off-road drive-around, and they just stood back and waved me through. The same on the return. So the answer is ‘it depends’. I would say anything other than a round prohibition sign is a warning for your convenience.
The red rectangular sign with white writing, is for your information, and to avoid you having to turn round, however;
Travelling on the B4520 near Capel Uchaf, Powys, there was a yellow ‘road ahead closed’ sign, then a red with white writing ‘Road Closed’. I continued, and they were putting in a new cattle grid in, but they had a muddy off-road drive-around, and they just stood back and waved me through. The same on the return. So the answer is ‘it depends’. I would say anything other than a round prohibition sign is a warning for your convenience.
Legally they're meant to apply. That said, the orders sometimes allow cycling, but they never put that on the signs.
In practice, it's worth chancing it. I've never encountered a road closure I haven't been able to get through, although there was one recently that I didn't try, as there were a lot of workmen around.
But be fair. If you expect cyclist to obey road closures, then you should also expect cyclists to follow diversion signs...
Be careful what you wish for!
(As it happened I'd just taken a wrong turn on hitting roadworks and the A30 wasn't even closed. But I genuinely thought I was being diverted onto the motorway, fortunately I doubled back to check!).
Especially on trunk roads, road closures are often vastly extended for traffic management purposes. This one was for one little sinkhole, with an exit before it that I took. Just don't want to route the whole road down a singletrack!
Equally the A34 closure for the Botley Bridge works. Again, a minor exit provided egress before the actual work site.
Generally, just a bit of common sense applies!
In practice, it's worth chancing it. I've never encountered a road closure I haven't been able to get through, although there was one recently that I didn't try, as there were a lot of workmen around.
But be fair. If you expect cyclist to obey road closures, then you should also expect cyclists to follow diversion signs...
Be careful what you wish for!
(As it happened I'd just taken a wrong turn on hitting roadworks and the A30 wasn't even closed. But I genuinely thought I was being diverted onto the motorway, fortunately I doubled back to check!).
Especially on trunk roads, road closures are often vastly extended for traffic management purposes. This one was for one little sinkhole, with an exit before it that I took. Just don't want to route the whole road down a singletrack!
Equally the A34 closure for the Botley Bridge works. Again, a minor exit provided egress before the actual work site.
Generally, just a bit of common sense applies!
A TTRO for a road closure applies to cyclists, so unless you see signage to the contrary, you should not go through them. In reality, you most likely won't encounter issue if you go through one, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to. If you are going to disobey the closure, please use common sense and keep your wits about you. We have had a few incidents where cyclists have barrelled through closures and put themselves in danger. On one occasion the police were in attendance when the cyclist chose to enter the closure at speed - to say they were unimpressed with said cyclist would be putting it mildly. The reason for a closure may also not always be obvious and there can be dangers which you are unaware of. And finally, if you do ride through one and then get tar on your tyres, or a puncture, then have the good sense not to try and claim. This is likely to get you reported for entering a road closure and is not likely to get you any money. And believe it or not, this is no uncommon.
If you want to do some reading, this is the act of law which covers TTROs.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/conte...
If you want to do some reading, this is the act of law which covers TTROs.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/conte...
PaulD86 said:
A TTRO for a road closure applies to cyclists, so unless you see signage to the contrary, you should not go through them. In reality, you most likely won't encounter issue if you go through one, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to. If you are going to disobey the closure, please use common sense and keep your wits about you. We have had a few incidents where cyclists have barrelled through closures and put themselves in danger. On one occasion the police were in attendance when the cyclist chose to enter the closure at speed - to say they were unimpressed with said cyclist would be putting it mildly. The reason for a closure may also not always be obvious and there can be dangers which you are unaware of. And finally, if you do ride through one and then get tar on your tyres, or a puncture, then have the good sense not to try and claim. This is likely to get you reported for entering a road closure and is not likely to get you any money. And believe it or not, this is no uncommon.
If you want to do some reading, this is the act of law which covers TTROs.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/conte...
Like I say, you sometimes see nonsense like this:If you want to do some reading, this is the act of law which covers TTROs.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/conte...
The last diversion I followed on a bike sent me straight onto the A31. Single carriageway Wimborne Bypass, it wasn't so awful, but that road is a trunk road, and can be bad.
Now, it is actually legal to cycle on a motorway for the purpose of complying with traffic signs. It's not clear whether a merely advisory diversion route counts, but you'd expect there to be an alternative diversion for non-motorway traffic in such cases.
Signage saying otherwise - I know of one road closure fairly locally where cycling through was explicitly allowed. But did the signage say so? You bet not. And the diversion route, because it was an A road, was long and did 10 miles along the A303. Frankly, I'd rather cycle on the hard shoulder of the M3 than on the A303 at the wrong time!
PaulD86 said:
And finally, if you do ride through one and then get tar on your tyres, or a puncture, then have the good sense not to try and claim.
I find it hard to believe someone would do this 
Seriously though, can I claim for a pinch flat from a pothole? £2 for an inner tube plus labour!
austinsmirk said:
If yr riding yr bike and you can get through a load of road works and closures: you will.
And laugh at the sad motorists.
Why would you care ?
I ride an off roader (enduro) motorbike in small groups "green laning" which involves around 50% road riding. We never divert round closed roads and have only ever failed to get through once - and that was because an underpass we used to use was totally filled in! :-)And laugh at the sad motorists.
Why would you care ?
I would add that we don't "get through" because we are on off-roaders, we get through simply because there is never an obstruction, it's always parked up plant and other equipment. Dead easy on 2 wheels, motorised or not.
PaulD86 said:
A TTRO for a road closure applies to cyclists, so unless you see signage to the contrary, you should not go through them. In reality, you most likely won't encounter issue if you go through one, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to. If you are going to disobey the closure, please use common sense and keep your wits about you. We have had a few incidents where cyclists have barrelled through closures and put themselves in danger. On one occasion the police were in attendance when the cyclist chose to enter the closure at speed - to say they were unimpressed with said cyclist would be putting it mildly. The reason for a closure may also not always be obvious and there can be dangers which you are unaware of. And finally, if you do ride through one and then get tar on your tyres, or a puncture, then have the good sense not to try and claim. This is likely to get you reported for entering a road closure and is not likely to get you any money. And believe it or not, this is no uncommon.
If you want to do some reading, this is the act of law which covers TTROs.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/conte...
Shouldn't that be a TRRO may apply to cyclists, just as it may apply to pedestrians? If you want to do some reading, this is the act of law which covers TTROs.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/conte...
Donbot said:
PaulD86 said:
And finally, if you do ride through one and then get tar on your tyres, or a puncture, then have the good sense not to try and claim.
I find it hard to believe someone would do this Seriously though, can I claim for a pinch flat from a pothole? £2 for an inner tube plus labour!
I've seen a good number of claims for inner tubes. And some of the claims have been for just a tube, not even any labour. There was one last year for £9, for a tube. Now I get that some will claim on principle and that's fine, but this was someone riding a bike worth about £4k. I can only presume they wished to make a point, but I think I'd just take the £9 hit if it were me and not waste my own time. That claim wasn't even successful.
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