Roadwork lane closures signed but not actually on street
Roadwork lane closures signed but not actually on street
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Discussion

cwoodsie2

Original Poster:

366 posts

240 months

Wednesday 24th October 2007
quotequote all
Afternoon all - quick question. I pulled onto the M40 last night and there were signs indicating the carriageway was being reduced to one lane for road works. Fine I thought so we all got into the inside lane and proceeded at the 50mph limit indicated by the overhead gantries. Thing was they had obviously only just started and the roadworks were only literally 100 yards long.

Thing was all the overhead gantries for the next 5 or 6 miles had been changed to indicate the inside lane was the only one open and vehicles should proceed at 50mph in the nearside lane. This was obviously very confusing as the motorway was completely clear as the guys had only just started.

My query is this - is it illegal to drive in all the lanes when the signs indicate that but the roadworks aren't there?? Surely it would have made sense to only turn on the relevant gantries once the roadworks had proceeded that far. I don't want to endanger anyone working on the motorway but when the workers aren't even there could I be prosecuted for straying from the inside lane or would a common sense approach prevail??

Eliminator

762 posts

286 months

Wednesday 24th October 2007
quotequote all
Lane closed on motorway - drive in it - NIP - points & cash.

It does not matter that you can see "no obstruction" the offence would be to use the lane marked as closed on a gantry.

So... Move left arrow - can ignore
Red lights - can't ignore

Dwight VanDriver

6,583 posts

275 months

Wednesday 24th October 2007
quotequote all
Depends just exactly what the signs were.

A '50' with yellow flashes is advisory only. (But can be used to support due care etc)

A white diagonally pointing arrow means lane ahead is closed and traffic SHOULD (not must) move to the next lane on the left.

Where the signs are accompanied by red things are serious.

dvd

EU_Foreigner

2,838 posts

257 months

Wednesday 24th October 2007
quotequote all
Learned something new, very useful

Marcellus

7,210 posts

250 months

Wednesday 24th October 2007
quotequote all
Were they the roadworks between junction 2 and 4 perchance at about 22:00?

On another occassion they've signed that the right hand lanes are closing (so everyone duly moves left only to find that is where the workers were putting the cones!!!!

cwoodsie2

Original Poster:

366 posts

240 months

Wednesday 24th October 2007
quotequote all
Marcellus said:
Were they the roadworks between junction 2 and 4 perchance at about 22:00?

On another occassion they've signed that the right hand lanes are closing (so everyone duly moves left only to find that is where the workers were putting the cones!!!!
Yep - twas that area - think it must be resurfacing works