Forth Road Bridge after work each evening
Discussion
Peanut Gallery said:
alangla said:
Actually this could be a masterstroke (albeit a bit of cowardice in allowing the greens to set the agenda in the first place) - variable speed limits either side & on the bridge, plus a hard shoulder bus lane on the M90 - any future government, of any colour, could easily introduce part or full time hard shoulder running on the bridge & beyond at minimal cost & brand the whole thing as a smart motorway install average speed cameras and bus lane cameras and make a ton of cash.
EFA.Seems to me that people slow down to go over the bridge - almost as if they're still using the old speed limit. You can do 70mph all the way down the motorway and then for some inexplicable reason everyone on the bridge slows down.
The eye level lights are annoying, if not dangerous.
People tend to stay in the outside lane for too long. Not sure what the aversion is to the inside lane?
The eye level lights are annoying, if not dangerous.
People tend to stay in the outside lane for too long. Not sure what the aversion is to the inside lane?
Condi said:
Seems to me that people slow down to go over the bridge - almost as if they're still using the old speed limit. You can do 70mph all the way down the motorway and then for some inexplicable reason everyone on the bridge slows down.
The eye level lights are annoying, if not dangerous.
People tend to stay in the outside lane for too long. Not sure what the aversion is to the inside lane?
I think they're scared they'll fall off. Not a joke - some drivers think the crash barriers won't be strong enough to stop them, can't remember where I read that.The eye level lights are annoying, if not dangerous.
People tend to stay in the outside lane for too long. Not sure what the aversion is to the inside lane?
Condi said:
Seems to me that people slow down to go over the bridge - almost as if they're still using the old speed limit. You can do 70mph all the way down the motorway and then for some inexplicable reason everyone on the bridge slows down.
The eye level lights are annoying, if not dangerous.
People tend to stay in the outside lane for too long. Not sure what the aversion is to the inside lane?
I agree fully with that. As soon as a couple of cars drop to 50mph everyone else slows down. The eye level lights are annoying, if not dangerous.
People tend to stay in the outside lane for too long. Not sure what the aversion is to the inside lane?
Plenty of outside lane hoggers too.
Driver101 said:
I agree fully with that. As soon as a couple of cars drop to 50mph everyone else slows down.
Plenty of outside lane hoggers too.
I think it's just the norm these days... Plenty of outside lane hoggers too.
I regularly travel up the A1 / bypass / bridge and there seems to be more and more drivers who really are dawdling along ar 50mph or less, causing a nuisance to the HGV boys. That and there seems to be a increase in people who seem utterly bewildered by road positioning or the fact there are others on the same stretch. The section north just after Newbridge is one place where the above types seem to struggle, as is the section where the roads meet just past Dakota. I got stuck behind a Auris that came round the bend at 50mph, which is fine... but sat at 50mph, in the outside lane until finally moving as we climbed the hill towards Rosyth. I'd have considered an undertake had the inside lane not been full of people doing 45mph. As an aside, dry road, clear visibility... in no rush but still. No wonder traffic backs up so quickly.
It's massively, massively frustrating. And so many people still stick at 50 if they head East over into Fife. The number of times I've picked a car up at the airport and had to remind myself I'm in this particular bit of Scotland and this is how they drive, is just ridiculous.
And I'm sure I read something in the Scotsman a week or so ago about a wider rollout of specs across the Scottish trunk network ala all the cameras from Dundee to Aberdeen - just makes the Old Military Road that more enticing... And it will widen this fear of speed in the North.
And I'm sure I read something in the Scotsman a week or so ago about a wider rollout of specs across the Scottish trunk network ala all the cameras from Dundee to Aberdeen - just makes the Old Military Road that more enticing... And it will widen this fear of speed in the North.
Edinburger said:
What do you all think of the lights as you join and then leave the bridge? The seem uneccessary to me. And surely they're distracting as well as a risk for epileptics?!
With the new lights which were recently switched on I really don't see the need for those ones.
They would work if they were shielded from approaching vehicles and lit the road area in front of them rather than all around. With the new lights which were recently switched on I really don't see the need for those ones.
Really quite unpleasant in wet weather.
simoid said:
What are they actually for?
I really don't know what value they add! Seems absolutely pointless to me. As I said, the strip lighting running along the outside of the bridge is helpful and fairly attractive as are the lights on the three pillars. Maybe there's an argument the bridge should have lamp posts. Driver101 said:
There has been some sizeable tailbacks the last few times I've used the new bridge. No apparent reason for the tailbacks either.
It isn't really helping traffic flow from what I see.
It's sIt isn't really helping traffic flow from what I see.
t. People drive at 70mph all the way down the M90, then slower moving traffic joins at Inverkeithing, and for some reason everyone drives over the bridge at 40mph. Same happens the other way, except traffic joins at Queensferry. IMO they've really f
ked it up and should have made it 3 lanes each way. Because that is now impossible, either the hard shoulder wants making into a running lane ala smart motorway, or the old bridge needs to take some of the traffic. I wonder if any consideration was given to any kind of 'future proofing' or increase in traffic over the lifespan of the bridge? As it is struggling to cope with traffic 2 years after being finished, in another 30 years it will be gridlock all the time. Condi said:
Driver101 said:
There has been some sizeable tailbacks the last few times I've used the new bridge. No apparent reason for the tailbacks either.
It isn't really helping traffic flow from what I see.
It's sIt isn't really helping traffic flow from what I see.
t. People drive at 70mph all the way down the M90, then slower moving traffic joins at Inverkeithing, and for some reason everyone drives over the bridge at 40mph. Same happens the other way, except traffic joins at Queensferry. IMO they've really f
ked it up and should have made it 3 lanes each way. Because that is now impossible, either the hard shoulder wants making into a running lane ala smart motorway, or the old bridge needs to take some of the traffic. I wonder if any consideration was given to any kind of 'future proofing' or increase in traffic over the lifespan of the bridge? As it is struggling to cope with traffic 2 years after being finished, in another 30 years it will be gridlock all the time. Halmyre said:
Condi said:
Driver101 said:
There has been some sizeable tailbacks the last few times I've used the new bridge. No apparent reason for the tailbacks either.
It isn't really helping traffic flow from what I see.
It's sIt isn't really helping traffic flow from what I see.
t. People drive at 70mph all the way down the M90, then slower moving traffic joins at Inverkeithing, and for some reason everyone drives over the bridge at 40mph. Same happens the other way, except traffic joins at Queensferry. IMO they've really f
ked it up and should have made it 3 lanes each way. Because that is now impossible, either the hard shoulder wants making into a running lane ala smart motorway, or the old bridge needs to take some of the traffic. I wonder if any consideration was given to any kind of 'future proofing' or increase in traffic over the lifespan of the bridge? As it is struggling to cope with traffic 2 years after being finished, in another 30 years it will be gridlock all the time. alangla said:
Halmyre said:
Condi said:
Driver101 said:
There has been some sizeable tailbacks the last few times I've used the new bridge. No apparent reason for the tailbacks either.
It isn't really helping traffic flow from what I see.
It's sIt isn't really helping traffic flow from what I see.
t. People drive at 70mph all the way down the M90, then slower moving traffic joins at Inverkeithing, and for some reason everyone drives over the bridge at 40mph. Same happens the other way, except traffic joins at Queensferry. IMO they've really f
ked it up and should have made it 3 lanes each way. Because that is now impossible, either the hard shoulder wants making into a running lane ala smart motorway, or the old bridge needs to take some of the traffic. I wonder if any consideration was given to any kind of 'future proofing' or increase in traffic over the lifespan of the bridge? As it is struggling to cope with traffic 2 years after being finished, in another 30 years it will be gridlock all the time. *short of deeming them incompetent and unfit to drive and revoking their licence, if only...
Halmyre said:
Only snag is, I've heard there are some people complaining that the bridge feels unsafe, which is doubtless why they drive in the right-hand lane at 40 mph. There's no way they're going to be persuaded* to drive on the +1 lane.
*short of deeming them incompetent and unfit to drive and revoking their licence, if only...
They can do 5mph in the inside lane for all I care as long as they f*short of deeming them incompetent and unfit to drive and revoking their licence, if only...
k off from the outside lane and leave that to people who can drive. 
Besides, its illogical; the faster you go, the less time you spend on the bridge. Simple.
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