M42 to M5 to turn right you keep left and right left why????

[PaulBB]

Just one of those daft things that has always puzzeled me having used the M42,M5 and M6 for many years. Going North to turn right from the M42 to the M5 you have to keep left and to turn left on to the M5 you keep right. The M5 to the M6 is the same going left keep right going right keep left.
I have sat with a bit of paper and looking at a satellite view of the junctions (sad I know but bear with me) and I can't see any reason for it. There must be a logical reason for it and I'm just missing it or I'm a sad tt who should find something better to worry about LOL .....Any Ideas????

[nixon1]

Not sure if it is true or if it pure speculation, but I believe it is because the project simply ran out of money to build a bridge! It is odd joining in the fast lane for sure

[ninja-lewis]

Access was originally limited to going to/from the south on M5. The M42 was supposed to split into two further east to join the M5 further north. Instead access to the North was added later on via off/on slips.

http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title...
http://www.pathetic.org.uk/unfinished/m42_lydiate_...

[Puggit]

When heading North on the M40 on to the M42, you get a similar left-to-turn-right and right-to-turn-left split...

[Daniel1]

you have to do this at the A21/M25 junction. Causes all sorts of swerving and have no idea why they did it.

[AAGR]

nixon1 said:

Not sure if it is true or if it pure speculation, but I believe it is because the project simply ran out of money to build a bridge! It is odd joining in the fast lane for sure

I'm sure that is correct. The way the junction was eventually built probably meant that the existing M42 and M5 roads could be kept open throughout the construction, which IIRC came years later.

[covboy]

I Believe it could be the most economical use of available space.
There has to be a bridge/flyover at some point. It happens at quite a few places

Daniel1 said:

you have to do this at the A21/M25 junction. Causes all sorts of swerving and have no idea why they did it.

Why ??

It's not as though these junctions are not clearly signposted. As usual people ignore things till the last minute and hence last minute lane changes etc.

[Daniel1]

covboy said:

I Believe it could be the most economical use of available space.
There has to be a bridge/flyover at some point. It happens at quite a few places

Daniel1 said:

you have to do this at the A21/M25 junction. Causes all sorts of swerving and have no idea why they did it.

Why ??

It's not as though these junctions are not clearly signposted. As usual people ignore things till the last minute and hence last minute lane changes etc.

At a guess because most people are on auto pilot unless near their destination, so stay in middle or right lane untill theyre nearer their junction.

[magpies]

M18 to M1 is the same travelling west - slip road left to go north - keep right to go south

no problem as long as you can read the signs

[Johnnytheboy]

ninja-lewis said:

Access was originally limited to going to/from the south on M5. The M42 was supposed to split into two further east to join the M5 further north. Instead access to the North was added later on via off/on slips.

http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title...
http://www.pathetic.org.uk/unfinished/m42_lydiate_...

I love the Pathetic Motorways website! That guy's writing style is brilliant.

[Hooli]

magpies said:

M18 to M1 is the same travelling west - slip road left to go north - keep right to go south

no problem as long as you can read the signs

Seems pretty common I think, I'm sure I've seen it in lots of places. Maybe it's to do with the radius of the turns they use & the amount of land it then covers?

[masermartin]

I've always assumed this was due to the "stay right to go left" link road being built first, and the "stay left to go right" being built a couple of years later. I assumed then that peeling off to the left before going over/under the existing carriageway was a simpler option than ripping everything up and planning a new junction.

Edited by masermartin on Thursday 30th December 11:45