M3 Nightmare Continues!

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Discussion

Mr Tidy

Original Poster:

22,065 posts

126 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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JackReacher said:
FurtiveFreddy said:
It seems to work like this for most people:

1. Join motorway. Signal is optional.
2. Choose a lane between 2 and 4. Do not use 1 as that's the one for lorries/slow drivers/caravans.
3. Stay in your chosen lane whatever happens. It's safer and avoids the need to look in mirrors/use signal/use brain (if present).
4. If limit is 50, try and drive at 49-51 unless there's a slight incline in which case the car seems to slow down, which is weird.
5. When approx. 50 yards from your exit, find a gap smaller than your vehicle and try and move into it avoiding use of signals whenever possible.
6. Go home and complain to anyone who listens about all the bad driving you saw on your way home.
I would add:-

If the car in front pulls over into a slower lane, accelerate quickly until you are along side that car, and slow back to 50mph. You then don't have to worry about the other driver getting in front you again as they will have to slow down before they can pull in behind you when they need to pass a slower car.
I would add 1a. Don't worry about traffic on the motorway, just arrive at whatever speed you feel like and move to your right - they'll usually swerve to avoid you!

I think I'll regard it as properly finished when:-

A) It isn't closed at 20.00
B) There is a speed limit other than 50 displayed!

SVTRick

3,633 posts

194 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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silverfoxcc said:
I find that if an electric signal has now effect on a gap opening up for you it is supplemented by a very FORCEFUL right hand coming out of the window them moving over. It tends to focus the guys mind behind. Amazing how many actually slow down especially if you point assertively to the gap you are going in.
That does not work if said vehicle is a large HGV .......

yellowjack

17,065 posts

165 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
quotequote all
SVTRick said:
silverfoxcc said:
I find that if an electric signal has now effect on a gap opening up for you it is supplemented by a very FORCEFUL right hand coming out of the window them moving over. It tends to focus the guys mind behind. Amazing how many actually slow down especially if you point assertively to the gap you are going in.
That does not work if said vehicle is a large HGV .......
That's just plain wrong. A vehicle established in a lane has priority over one trying to join it, unless road markings say otherwise.

You cannot safely TAKE priority, but you can cede it to another. If there isn't a SAFE gap into which to move, you should bloody-well stay in the lane you currently occupy. It's forcing you way into small gaps that causes collisions and often leads to concertina braking which creates artificial delays for EVERYONE. Look at the bigger picture, stay in lane, and get there just as soon, if not sooner...

rolleyes

silverfoxcc

7,683 posts

144 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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True!

Trevatanus

11,109 posts

149 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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Quite impressed that they waited for the M3 overnight closures to finish before starting to mess about with the A30 Roundabout in Egham..

Oh wait......

ffc

606 posts

158 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
quotequote all
Mr Tidy said:
I would add 1a. Don't worry about traffic on the motorway, just arrive at whatever speed you feel like and move to your right - they'll usually swerve to avoid you!

I think I'll regard it as properly finished when:-

A) It isn't closed at 20.00
B) There is a speed limit other than 50 displayed!
This. 4a Closed going North last night.........

AlexRS2782

8,023 posts

212 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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Trevatanus said:
Quite impressed that they waited for the M3 overnight closures to finish before starting to mess about with the A30 Roundabout in Egham..

Oh wait......
Quality planning banghead Out of interest, what are they doing to that roundabout?

Trevatanus

11,109 posts

149 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
quotequote all
AlexRS2782 said:
Trevatanus said:
Quite impressed that they waited for the M3 overnight closures to finish before starting to mess about with the A30 Roundabout in Egham..

Oh wait......
Quality planning banghead Out of interest, what are they doing to that roundabout?
Here you go..

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/ro...

AlexRS2782

8,023 posts

212 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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Thanks for that smile - Wasn't even aware of that so it would appear to be another area to avoid, at certain times, for the foreseeable if I'm going in that direction smile

Mr Tidy

Original Poster:

22,065 posts

126 months

Thursday 27th July 2017
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AlexRS2782 said:
Thanks for that smile - Wasn't even aware of that so it would appear to be another area to avoid, at certain times, for the foreseeable if I'm going in that direction smile
And there are plans to waste millions of pounds and man-hours on messing about with the A30 roundabout at the Meadows - so when it starts avoid the area at all costs!

DJT

231 posts

160 months

Thursday 27th July 2017
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Avoided M3 Tuesday night only to find the A33 south completely closed without warning for roadworks. Might as well also close the A3 and A30 for good measure.

TheRainMaker

6,302 posts

241 months

Thursday 27th July 2017
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Just had a quick read through the M4 stuff, can't see 800 million will be any where near enough and only 5 years...

They are going to have to replace every bridge from Hays to Maidenhead, and what are they going to do with the Thames crossing?

Trevatanus

11,109 posts

149 months

Thursday 27th July 2017
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Mr Tidy said:
AlexRS2782 said:
Thanks for that smile - Wasn't even aware of that so it would appear to be another area to avoid, at certain times, for the foreseeable if I'm going in that direction smile
And there are plans to waste millions of pounds and man-hours on messing about with the A30 roundabout at the Meadows - so when it starts avoid the area at all costs!
Public consultation (like they will ever listen to anything the public says!) closed on the 31st.
I would imagine that the planning and getting the money in place will be a good few months before they start breaking ground though?

AlexRS2782

8,023 posts

212 months

Thursday 27th July 2017
quotequote all
Trevatanus said:
Mr Tidy said:
AlexRS2782 said:
Thanks for that smile - Wasn't even aware of that so it would appear to be another area to avoid, at certain times, for the foreseeable if I'm going in that direction smile
And there are plans to waste millions of pounds and man-hours on messing about with the A30 roundabout at the Meadows - so when it starts avoid the area at all costs!
Public consultation (like they will ever listen to anything the public says!) closed on the 31st.
I would imagine that the planning and getting the money in place will be a good few months before they start breaking ground though?
Based on the Surrey Heath newsletter, that dropped through the letterbox yesterday, SHBC are already bigging up their purchase of "The Mall" and how it will be renamed / rebranded in 2018 once an £8million refurbishment project is completed.

They also plan to completely pedestrianize Camberley town centre so car access only to car parks nothing down the high street or parallel to the A30 as it currently is.

The wording of "The Meadows Project" suggests it's already a done deal regardless of the public consultation (well we knew that would be the case anyway) and evidently work it is already slated to start with the appointed contractor in January 2018.

At the same time as The Meadows r/bout reconfiguration a separate contractor will evidently be tasked with "redesigning" the stretch of the A30 that runs parallel to Camberley town centre, as well as reviewing the A30 as a whole from the VW dealer all the way to the Frimley Road junction. Evidently the aim is to improve that entire stretch for safer cycling & pedestrian routes (it quotes the A331 redesign as being the model to follow so read into that what you will).

There is also a consultation due later this year over whether the speed should be dropped to 30 from 40 for "safety" reasons and whether the current bus lane should be made permanent further to any works carried out on the A30.

This work is evidently essential as once complete it will drive more people to go to Camberley town centre rather than visit out of town shopping outlets. At least that's the sales pitch blurb from "Halogen" who are the property marketing specialists that are being paid a nice 7 figure sum by SHBC to manage the "rebranding" of Camberley town centre.

Oh joy.

Mr Tidy

Original Poster:

22,065 posts

126 months

Saturday 29th July 2017
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AlexRS2782 said:
This work is evidently essential as once complete it will drive more people to go to Camberley town centre rather than visit out of town shopping outlets. At least that's the sales pitch blurb from "Halogen" who are the property marketing specialists that are being paid a nice 7 figure sum by SHBC to manage the "rebranding" of Camberley town centre.

Oh joy.
But it won't will it?

I already avoid Camberley if I possibly can, and during/after those "essential works" I'll avoid it at all costs by using out of town shopping outlets! It isn't like going there is an uplifting experience FFS. laugh

Trevatanus

11,109 posts

149 months

Saturday 29th July 2017
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Absolutely topped it all last night.
Single alternate line of traffic whilst resurfacing the A30 outside the RMA.
This may well be the emergency road surface repairs to the surface that was dangerous (their words after they sent someone out to investigate, following my report done time ago).
They came back and promised to resolve within 30 days, and I need to check my emails, because it was certainly more than a month ago.
Further roadworks with temp traffic lights, no actual works, but just the lights outside the Old Dean, and finally, A30 down to ONE lane by Egham Roundabout.
They tried to squeeze the M3 AND the M3 traffic into a single lane.

FurtiveFreddy

8,577 posts

236 months

Saturday 29th July 2017
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Three observations from today's M3 journey:

1. I'm seeing more drivers overtake lane hoggers then move across to the leftmost lane to 'demonstrate' where they should be. And sometimes it actually has a positive effect.

2. I'm seeing more undertaking due to the lane hoggers not responding to demonstrations.

3. I think I saw a flash from one of the new cameras when someone went past it (way over 50).


jimmybell

583 posts

116 months

Saturday 29th July 2017
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Carnage last night - i couldn't even figure out WHAT was going on .. we were heading southbound, all actively diverted off at a junction, back UP the M3 (had no choice), at the next junction diverted back SOUTH again down another lane past the one we were diverted out of.

huge queue at the latter junction under the M3 round a roundabout full of people who'd all been made to do a 10 mile loop for absolutely no reason.

Mr Tidy

Original Poster:

22,065 posts

126 months

Sunday 30th July 2017
quotequote all
jimmybell said:
Carnage last night - i couldn't even figure out WHAT was going on .. we were heading southbound, all actively diverted off at a junction, back UP the M3 (had no choice), at the next junction diverted back SOUTH again down another lane past the one we were diverted out of.

huge queue at the latter junction under the M3 round a roundabout full of people who'd all been made to do a 10 mile loop for absolutely no reason.
I've had that misery at least 3 times - why the F*ck can't they just say the slip-road to the M3 Southbound is shut. mad

Then I could get off the M25 at J12 and cut through Chertsey, or go to J13 and use the A30. banghead

It's miserable enough without bellends making it worse!

But at least we can take some comfort for it being finished - my a*se!

Nimby

4,572 posts

149 months

Sunday 30th July 2017
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How long is considered reasonable to "test and commission" the smart system?