M3 Nightmare Continues!
Discussion
Frimley111R said:
The cameras must be getting a boost in revenues now. The amount of people who seem to think that because its finished the 50 limit doesn't apply any more is ridiculous. Idiots.
I had 2 guys this morning doing at least 85. Either they know something we don't, or are just idiotic. I sure as hell am not risking it. I also assume the speed cameras are not operational, as there's no markers on the road to gauge distance/speed?
Trevatanus said:
As I passed 4a, there was a large national speed limit Sign at the bottom of the on slip. Was just starting to accelerate when I saw another 50 sign.
Thats a bit naughty and will catch quite a few out for sure. Mrs got stuck last night on the way home, usual divert down the A30
Kinky said:
I also assume the speed cameras are not operational, as there's no markers on the road to gauge distance/speed?
IIRC the markings are not to gauge speed, they are to calibrate the cameras but even then that was for the old GATSO cameras, the digital average speed cameras don't need/use markings.Apologies for typing this as a quote - I tried to scan the document but my printer no longer communicates with my computer...
This letter is so stuffed full of inaccuracies and, to be frank, utter b
ks, that it's laughable. If this were an advertisement the ASA would ban it as being pure fantasy.
I forget the actual figure, but the "time saving" on a journey through the smart/managed motorway section was something as stupidly low as 4 minutes at peak times. So all these millions/billions have been chucked at a dangerous white elephant, when similar savings could have been achieved by educating sales reps in leased BMWs to actually use some lane discipline, and cracking down on tailgating (and excessive/unnecessary lane swapping), which is the leading cause of 'concertina braking' on busy motorways. If they'd invested the capital cost of this project in a nationwide driver education campaign it would have likely improved conditions everywhere, not just bought some halfwit in a non-job a few extra minutes of snooze-button time every day.
Driving along the M25 between Heathrow and the M11 over the weekend I was struck by just how much debris there is on the edges of the carriageway. Pieces of truck tyre are popular, but also pieces of car bodywork, exhaust sections, mirrors, etc. All put there by collisions or mechanical breakdowns. Without the hard shoulder on which to take refuge, these stricken vehicles will likely be marooned in a running lane, and it will take time for authorities to respond. When the response comes, it will likely involve closure of at least two of the running lanes, and if, in the meantime, traffic has completely come to a standstill, just how the juddering fk will ambulances and fire engines reach the incident, without a clear lane (hard shoulder) down which to drive?
Mark my words, this completely unnecessary "smart" motorway project will lead to MORE delays, and possibly directly to someone's death. Hopefully then (or even better, BEFORE then) someone will have the sense to paint a solid white line back in on the nearside lane, and we'll get the hard shoulder back. The whole thing has been a farce from start to finish, with M3 night closures coinciding with major roadworks and infrastructure projects on the signed diversion routes. When this project got signed off, it was an indication that the lunatics truly had taken over the asylum...
Balfour Beatty Highways England said:
Balfour Beatty working on behalf of Highways England
Our ref: MHC01014/RR/KB/07438
0300 123 5000 www.highways.gov.uk
7 July 2017
Dear Resident,
Reference: M3 Junction 2-4a Smart Motorway - Works Update
On Friday 30th June 2017 we opened the M3 as a four-lane smart motorway between junction 2 and 4a, making journeys faster and more reliable, improving journey times for the 130,000 drivers who use it every day. We have added an extra lane in both directions by converting the hard shoulder to an extra traffic lane - increasing capacity and adding technology that will make the road more resilient for our road users.
The smart motorway is initially open to traffic with four running lanes, with a 50mph speed limit for all vehicles, while testing of the newly installed technology is finalised.
Whilst we have delivered most of the work in parallel, additional works to reconstruct the Woodlands Lane Bridge and some remaining renewal works will take place beyond the 30th June. On behalf of Highway England we will be using overnight lane and carriageway closures to complete the bridge reconstruction and remaining works with the target to open the new Woodlands Lane Bridge by winter 2017/18. This work continues to form part of the smart motorway project on the M3 between junctions 2 and 4a.
We plan to commence works between junctions 2 and 4a in both directions from 10 July and expect them to last for up to eight weeks.
The works will consist of: Vegetation clearance, environmental barrier installation, environmental barrier alignment, low noise re-surfacing, installing permanent white lines and road studs, minor earthworks, metal barrier removal, cabling works and top soiling.
The activities will be carried out at night between the hours of 8pm and 5.30am Monday to Thursday, 8pm to 7am on Fridays and Saturdays, and between 10pm and 5.30am on Sundays when traffic flows are at their lowest. These activities will be dependent on weather conditions.
All efforts will be made to minimise noise and other impacts from our works. These works will be carried out under Section 61 consents. This is an approval obtained from local authorities to carry out these works at this time.
If you have any queries about this or any of our works, please contact our Community Relations Team by email to communityrelationsM3j2-4a@balfourbeatty.com
or Highways England at M3Junction2to4aSmartMotorways@highwaysengland.co.uk
Yours faithfully
Richard Reid
Project Director
We've had many such "Dear Resident" communications over the course of the project. They're inevitably bad news, because they tell us when a period of noisy overnight works will begin.Our ref: MHC01014/RR/KB/07438
0300 123 5000 www.highways.gov.uk
7 July 2017
Dear Resident,
Reference: M3 Junction 2-4a Smart Motorway - Works Update
On Friday 30th June 2017 we opened the M3 as a four-lane smart motorway between junction 2 and 4a, making journeys faster and more reliable, improving journey times for the 130,000 drivers who use it every day. We have added an extra lane in both directions by converting the hard shoulder to an extra traffic lane - increasing capacity and adding technology that will make the road more resilient for our road users.
The smart motorway is initially open to traffic with four running lanes, with a 50mph speed limit for all vehicles, while testing of the newly installed technology is finalised.
Whilst we have delivered most of the work in parallel, additional works to reconstruct the Woodlands Lane Bridge and some remaining renewal works will take place beyond the 30th June. On behalf of Highway England we will be using overnight lane and carriageway closures to complete the bridge reconstruction and remaining works with the target to open the new Woodlands Lane Bridge by winter 2017/18. This work continues to form part of the smart motorway project on the M3 between junctions 2 and 4a.
We plan to commence works between junctions 2 and 4a in both directions from 10 July and expect them to last for up to eight weeks.
The works will consist of: Vegetation clearance, environmental barrier installation, environmental barrier alignment, low noise re-surfacing, installing permanent white lines and road studs, minor earthworks, metal barrier removal, cabling works and top soiling.
The activities will be carried out at night between the hours of 8pm and 5.30am Monday to Thursday, 8pm to 7am on Fridays and Saturdays, and between 10pm and 5.30am on Sundays when traffic flows are at their lowest. These activities will be dependent on weather conditions.
All efforts will be made to minimise noise and other impacts from our works. These works will be carried out under Section 61 consents. This is an approval obtained from local authorities to carry out these works at this time.
If you have any queries about this or any of our works, please contact our Community Relations Team by email to communityrelationsM3j2-4a@balfourbeatty.com
or Highways England at M3Junction2to4aSmartMotorways@highwaysengland.co.uk
Yours faithfully
Richard Reid
Project Director
This letter is so stuffed full of inaccuracies and, to be frank, utter b
ks, that it's laughable. If this were an advertisement the ASA would ban it as being pure fantasy.I forget the actual figure, but the "time saving" on a journey through the smart/managed motorway section was something as stupidly low as 4 minutes at peak times. So all these millions/billions have been chucked at a dangerous white elephant, when similar savings could have been achieved by educating sales reps in leased BMWs to actually use some lane discipline, and cracking down on tailgating (and excessive/unnecessary lane swapping), which is the leading cause of 'concertina braking' on busy motorways. If they'd invested the capital cost of this project in a nationwide driver education campaign it would have likely improved conditions everywhere, not just bought some halfwit in a non-job a few extra minutes of snooze-button time every day.
Driving along the M25 between Heathrow and the M11 over the weekend I was struck by just how much debris there is on the edges of the carriageway. Pieces of truck tyre are popular, but also pieces of car bodywork, exhaust sections, mirrors, etc. All put there by collisions or mechanical breakdowns. Without the hard shoulder on which to take refuge, these stricken vehicles will likely be marooned in a running lane, and it will take time for authorities to respond. When the response comes, it will likely involve closure of at least two of the running lanes, and if, in the meantime, traffic has completely come to a standstill, just how the juddering f
k will ambulances and fire engines reach the incident, without a clear lane (hard shoulder) down which to drive?Mark my words, this completely unnecessary "smart" motorway project will lead to MORE delays, and possibly directly to someone's death. Hopefully then (or even better, BEFORE then) someone will have the sense to paint a solid white line back in on the nearside lane, and we'll get the hard shoulder back. The whole thing has been a farce from start to finish, with M3 night closures coinciding with major roadworks and infrastructure projects on the signed diversion routes. When this project got signed off, it was an indication that the lunatics truly had taken over the asylum...
yellowjack said:
Apologies for typing this as a quote - I tried to scan the document but my printer no longer communicates with my computer...
This letter is so stuffed full of inaccuracies and, to be frank, utter bks, that it's laughable. If this were an advertisement the ASA would ban it as being pure fantasy.
I forget the actual figure, but the "time saving" on a journey through the smart/managed motorway section was something as stupidly low as 4 minutes at peak times. So all these millions/billions have been chucked at a dangerous white elephant, when similar savings could have been achieved by educating sales reps in leased BMWs to actually use some lane discipline, and cracking down on tailgating (and excessive/unnecessary lane swapping), which is the leading cause of 'concertina braking' on busy motorways. If they'd invested the capital cost of this project in a nationwide driver education campaign it would have likely improved conditions everywhere, not just bought some halfwit in a non-job a few extra minutes of snooze-button time every day.
Driving along the M25 between Heathrow and the M11 over the weekend I was struck by just how much debris there is on the edges of the carriageway. Pieces of truck tyre are popular, but also pieces of car bodywork, exhaust sections, mirrors, etc. All put there by collisions or mechanical breakdowns. Without the hard shoulder on which to take refuge, these stricken vehicles will likely be marooned in a running lane, and it will take time for authorities to respond. When the response comes, it will likely involve closure of at least two of the running lanes, and if, in the meantime, traffic has completely come to a standstill, just how the juddering fk will ambulances and fire engines reach the incident, without a clear lane (hard shoulder) down which to drive?
Mark my words, this completely unnecessary "smart" motorway project will lead to MORE delays, and possibly directly to someone's death. Hopefully then (or even better, BEFORE then) someone will have the sense to paint a solid white line back in on the nearside lane, and we'll get the hard shoulder back. The whole thing has been a farce from start to finish, with M3 night closures coinciding with major roadworks and infrastructure projects on the signed diversion routes. When this project got signed off, it was an indication that the lunatics truly had taken over the asylum...
So it's finished, apart from the additional two months work then?Balfour Beatty Highways England said:
Balfour Beatty working on behalf of Highways England
Our ref: MHC01014/RR/KB/07438
0300 123 5000 www.highways.gov.uk
7 July 2017
Dear Resident,
Reference: M3 Junction 2-4a Smart Motorway - Works Update
On Friday 30th June 2017 we opened the M3 as a four-lane smart motorway between junction 2 and 4a, making journeys faster and more reliable, improving journey times for the 130,000 drivers who use it every day. We have added an extra lane in both directions by converting the hard shoulder to an extra traffic lane - increasing capacity and adding technology that will make the road more resilient for our road users.
The smart motorway is initially open to traffic with four running lanes, with a 50mph speed limit for all vehicles, while testing of the newly installed technology is finalised.
Whilst we have delivered most of the work in parallel, additional works to reconstruct the Woodlands Lane Bridge and some remaining renewal works will take place beyond the 30th June. On behalf of Highway England we will be using overnight lane and carriageway closures to complete the bridge reconstruction and remaining works with the target to open the new Woodlands Lane Bridge by winter 2017/18. This work continues to form part of the smart motorway project on the M3 between junctions 2 and 4a.
We plan to commence works between junctions 2 and 4a in both directions from 10 July and expect them to last for up to eight weeks.
The works will consist of: Vegetation clearance, environmental barrier installation, environmental barrier alignment, low noise re-surfacing, installing permanent white lines and road studs, minor earthworks, metal barrier removal, cabling works and top soiling.
The activities will be carried out at night between the hours of 8pm and 5.30am Monday to Thursday, 8pm to 7am on Fridays and Saturdays, and between 10pm and 5.30am on Sundays when traffic flows are at their lowest. These activities will be dependent on weather conditions.
All efforts will be made to minimise noise and other impacts from our works. These works will be carried out under Section 61 consents. This is an approval obtained from local authorities to carry out these works at this time.
If you have any queries about this or any of our works, please contact our Community Relations Team by email to communityrelationsM3j2-4a@balfourbeatty.com
or Highways England at M3Junction2to4aSmartMotorways@highwaysengland.co.uk
Yours faithfully
Richard Reid
Project Director
We've had many such "Dear Resident" communications over the course of the project. They're inevitably bad news, because they tell us when a period of noisy overnight works will begin.Our ref: MHC01014/RR/KB/07438
0300 123 5000 www.highways.gov.uk
7 July 2017
Dear Resident,
Reference: M3 Junction 2-4a Smart Motorway - Works Update
On Friday 30th June 2017 we opened the M3 as a four-lane smart motorway between junction 2 and 4a, making journeys faster and more reliable, improving journey times for the 130,000 drivers who use it every day. We have added an extra lane in both directions by converting the hard shoulder to an extra traffic lane - increasing capacity and adding technology that will make the road more resilient for our road users.
The smart motorway is initially open to traffic with four running lanes, with a 50mph speed limit for all vehicles, while testing of the newly installed technology is finalised.
Whilst we have delivered most of the work in parallel, additional works to reconstruct the Woodlands Lane Bridge and some remaining renewal works will take place beyond the 30th June. On behalf of Highway England we will be using overnight lane and carriageway closures to complete the bridge reconstruction and remaining works with the target to open the new Woodlands Lane Bridge by winter 2017/18. This work continues to form part of the smart motorway project on the M3 between junctions 2 and 4a.
We plan to commence works between junctions 2 and 4a in both directions from 10 July and expect them to last for up to eight weeks.
The works will consist of: Vegetation clearance, environmental barrier installation, environmental barrier alignment, low noise re-surfacing, installing permanent white lines and road studs, minor earthworks, metal barrier removal, cabling works and top soiling.
The activities will be carried out at night between the hours of 8pm and 5.30am Monday to Thursday, 8pm to 7am on Fridays and Saturdays, and between 10pm and 5.30am on Sundays when traffic flows are at their lowest. These activities will be dependent on weather conditions.
All efforts will be made to minimise noise and other impacts from our works. These works will be carried out under Section 61 consents. This is an approval obtained from local authorities to carry out these works at this time.
If you have any queries about this or any of our works, please contact our Community Relations Team by email to communityrelationsM3j2-4a@balfourbeatty.com
or Highways England at M3Junction2to4aSmartMotorways@highwaysengland.co.uk
Yours faithfully
Richard Reid
Project Director
This letter is so stuffed full of inaccuracies and, to be frank, utter b
ks, that it's laughable. If this were an advertisement the ASA would ban it as being pure fantasy.I forget the actual figure, but the "time saving" on a journey through the smart/managed motorway section was something as stupidly low as 4 minutes at peak times. So all these millions/billions have been chucked at a dangerous white elephant, when similar savings could have been achieved by educating sales reps in leased BMWs to actually use some lane discipline, and cracking down on tailgating (and excessive/unnecessary lane swapping), which is the leading cause of 'concertina braking' on busy motorways. If they'd invested the capital cost of this project in a nationwide driver education campaign it would have likely improved conditions everywhere, not just bought some halfwit in a non-job a few extra minutes of snooze-button time every day.
Driving along the M25 between Heathrow and the M11 over the weekend I was struck by just how much debris there is on the edges of the carriageway. Pieces of truck tyre are popular, but also pieces of car bodywork, exhaust sections, mirrors, etc. All put there by collisions or mechanical breakdowns. Without the hard shoulder on which to take refuge, these stricken vehicles will likely be marooned in a running lane, and it will take time for authorities to respond. When the response comes, it will likely involve closure of at least two of the running lanes, and if, in the meantime, traffic has completely come to a standstill, just how the juddering f
k will ambulances and fire engines reach the incident, without a clear lane (hard shoulder) down which to drive?Mark my words, this completely unnecessary "smart" motorway project will lead to MORE delays, and possibly directly to someone's death. Hopefully then (or even better, BEFORE then) someone will have the sense to paint a solid white line back in on the nearside lane, and we'll get the hard shoulder back. The whole thing has been a farce from start to finish, with M3 night closures coinciding with major roadworks and infrastructure projects on the signed diversion routes. When this project got signed off, it was an indication that the lunatics truly had taken over the asylum...
Mr Tidy said:
Melman Giraffe said:
My Mrs said all lanes open yesterday - 55 limit still in place
I use J2 to J4 every week and have never seen a 55 limit posted - presumably it is somewhere between J4 and J4A?It was discussed elsewhere, and the consensus (from PHers who are also involved in road design) seemed to be that 5mph speed limit increments on public roads are not legally permitted. All back to 50mph signs again now. I wonder how much extra money Highways England will have to pay Balfour Beatty now, to cover the cost of a Balfour Beatty f
k-up?Ej74 said:
My neighbour tells me if you switch lanes between each camera it doesn't pick you up..hmmm
Claims he's done 70 down to junction 4
That should go in the Urban Myths that people still believe thread! Claims he's done 70 down to junction 4
When the camera first came out you could do this but very quickly the issue was resolved and that must be well over 10 years ago. Also it was by moving from lane 1 to lane 3/4, not simply swapping lane.
Ask him to see how fast he can do it
Ej74 said:
My neighbor tells me if you switch lanes between each camera it doesn't pick you up..hmmm
Claims he's done 70 down to junction 4
That's nonsense and has been for some time now.Claims he's done 70 down to junction 4
However, until Surrey Police deem it's OK to release the figures of how many motorists have been caught by SPECS between J1-4, we don't have much of an idea what the trigger speed has been and where the enforcement sections have been.
Frimley111R said:
Kinky said:
I also assume the speed cameras are not operational, as there's no markers on the road to gauge distance/speed?
IIRC the markings are not to gauge speed, they are to calibrate the cameras but even then that was for the old GATSO cameras, the digital average speed cameras don't need/use markings.
It's specifically the GATSOs that are in place along side some of the gantries that I'm referring to.Kinky said:
Ross, yeah, I'm familiar with the SPECS cameras It's specifically the GATSOs that are in place along side some of the gantries that I'm referring to.
They're HADECS3s, not GATSOS, so a secondary check is not done with road markings. It's specifically the GATSOs that are in place along side some of the gantries that I'm referring to.The last time I drove past them a few days ago, there was no radar detected from them, so I don't believe they are operational yet but that obviously could change at any time.
Edited by FurtiveFreddy on Tuesday 11th July 14:28
Who is this Richard Reid c*nt?
It isn't even vaguely finished - Monday night around 20.30 it was closed again from J2 to J4a!
Strange that the 2 links on his letter give a 404 error.
Just what I would expect - it's a total f*ck-up!
Get off your ar*e and try to use it - a dose of reality is what you need!
Finished before I die would be fantastic, but that probably won't happen - actually open would be a rare treat!
It's taken over 3 years to make some refuges, put in concrete barriers and stick up a few gantries and Mr Reid's wombles still haven't finished it yet!
Must surely be the same contractor that spent over a year making a roundabout on the A3095 for access to Broadmoor - contactor should be in Broadmoor. The inmates (sorry, "patients") are more in touch with reality!
It is pitiful, at best!
It isn't even vaguely finished - Monday night around 20.30 it was closed again from J2 to J4a!
Strange that the 2 links on his letter give a 404 error.
Just what I would expect - it's a total f*ck-up! Get off your ar*e and try to use it - a dose of reality is what you need!
Finished before I die would be fantastic, but that probably won't happen - actually open would be a rare treat!
It's taken over 3 years to make some refuges, put in concrete barriers and stick up a few gantries and Mr Reid's wombles still haven't finished it yet!
Must surely be the same contractor that spent over a year making a roundabout on the A3095 for access to Broadmoor - contactor should be in Broadmoor. The inmates (sorry, "patients") are more in touch with reality!
It is pitiful, at best!
Mr Tidy said:
Who is this Richard Reid c*nt?
It isn't even vaguely finished - Monday night around 20.30 it was closed again from J2 to J4a!
Strange that the 2 links on his letter give a 404 error. Just what I would expect - it's a total f*ck-up!
Get off your ar*e and try to use it - a dose of reality is what you need!
Finished before I die would be fantastic, but that probably won't happen - actually open would be a rare treat!
It's taken over 3 years to make some refuges, put in concrete barriers and stick up a few gantries and Mr Reid's wombles still haven't finished it yet!
Must surely be the same contractor that spent over a year making a roundabout on the A3095 for access to Broadmoor - contactor should be in Broadmoor. The inmates (sorry, "patients") are more in touch with reality!
It is pitiful, at best!
You should let him off for those email and website links - that may be my formatting or spelling error where I've typed his letter out in full because my scanner won't work.It isn't even vaguely finished - Monday night around 20.30 it was closed again from J2 to J4a!
Strange that the 2 links on his letter give a 404 error.
Just what I would expect - it's a total f*ck-up! Get off your ar*e and try to use it - a dose of reality is what you need!
Finished before I die would be fantastic, but that probably won't happen - actually open would be a rare treat!
It's taken over 3 years to make some refuges, put in concrete barriers and stick up a few gantries and Mr Reid's wombles still haven't finished it yet!
Must surely be the same contractor that spent over a year making a roundabout on the A3095 for access to Broadmoor - contactor should be in Broadmoor. The inmates (sorry, "patients") are more in touch with reality!
It is pitiful, at best!
The rest of it though...? Especially the Broadmoor shower of s
t. That feels like it's run on longer than a Brian Rix Whitehall farce...
So back from London on the M3 this afternoon to J4 and instead of 3 lanes all moving at 50mph, we now seem to have 4 lanes all moving at 50mph with the same complete lack of lane discipline as always and more closures to look forward to while they do all the other work which is not in any way anything to do with the original work...
Driving is rapidly becoming no fun whatsoever.
Driving is rapidly becoming no fun whatsoever.
and another this evening exactly the same.http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire...
"50 mph and narrow lanes will be in place until February 2018"
They're joking of course right?
"50 mph and narrow lanes will be in place until February 2018"
They're joking of course right?
FurtiveFreddy said:
The last time I drove past them a few days ago, there was no radar detected from them, so I don't believe they are operational yet but that obviously could change at any time.
Damn, so driver's speeding along the M3 won't be caught?Edited by FurtiveFreddy on Tuesday 11th July 14:28
Gassing Station | Thames Valley & Surrey | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff