A4185 Southbound @ Harwell, incorrect speed limit signage?

[WilliBetz]

A question to those better informed than I...

The A4185 is a road in Oxfordshire, running between Rowstock roundabout and Chilton. It passes the Harwell Business Centre and the new Diamond science park and used to be unrestricted (ie. NSL). With recent development in the area part of the road is now a correctly signed 40 limit.

Travelling northbound on this road, you enter a section lit by street lighting (but no speed limit indicated) and then the 40 limit. Fair enough.

But travelling southbound, 30 limit signs (possibly incorrect size) have appeared at the end of the 40 limit. There are no repeater signs, but I guess there's no need for them as the area is lit by appropriately spaced lights. There is no NSL sign at the end of the street lit section. If you were to turn right off the road, into the business park, then you immediately enter a correctly signed 30 limit.

To me, this signage just doesn't "smell" right:

- I can't believe traffic southbound is limited to 30mph, but traffic northbound is bound to 60mph
- I don't trust the lack of a NSL sign southbound, at the end of the supposed 30 limit
- The 30 limit signs (southbound) look wrong to me (incorrect, slightly small, sizing)

I have a high level of respect for posted 30 limits, and this anomalous signage bugs me. At the moment, travelling southbound at 30mph I feel that I am obstructing following traffic that regards this section of road as a NSL. Travelling quicker might arguably leave me vulnerable to prosecution.

My question, after this rambing and incoherent description, is simply:

- who should I contact to correct the signing of this section of road, one way or the other?

Many thanks, in advance, for comment or advice.

[Hanse Cronje]

i think you have answered your own question.

The street lights indicate that it is 30. Where it is 30, indicated by street lights, there is no requirement to erect additonal 30 signs.

Assume every road is 30 with street lights, unless indicated otherwise.

[WilliBetz]

That's exactly the problem I have with this section of road. If it's a genuine 30 limit, then:

- why isn't it the same for traffic travelling in both directions?
- why isn't it properly terminated by a NSL sign?

I strongly suspect that some wag has taken it upon themselves to erect these signs, and would like to check with the responsible body. But is that the local police, council, highways agency? I've no idea.

[7db]

Lots of roads have different speeds in different directions. Weird. But true.

The lack of an initial NSL speed limit might mean that the whole of that NSL section is not properly signed. This might mean that there is no enforceable speed limit on that section.

Now that would be interesting...your own personal unlimited section.