M3 Nightmare Continues!

[anonymous-user]

Pre-balls up: 1hr by bike from Basingstoke to Central London.
During the balls up: Not less than 90mins, with one epic journey home taking nearly four hours (due to a fk up on the A30 bringing that to a total stand still)
Post balls up: Still around an hour, longer if the random night closures are in force, speaking of which...
Early July, when the project was declared complete, phone call to Highways England, got told night closures (needed for "testing") would definitely be over by August.
Early August, phone call to Highways England, got told "definitely" done by September.
Here we are in September.
No prizes for guessing when Highways England now say the night closures will "definitely" be finished by.
Cluster. fk.

Mickey Mouse goes to Balfour Beatty World for his holidays.

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 7th September 03:53

[Planet Claire]

Imagine my delight last night, just after 8pm, when travelling on the M3 southbound to get to J2 at the M25 to find gantry messages saying the M3 was closed, workforce in the road and red crosses indicating lane closures. Of course there wasn't a workman in sight and no cones closing the road. In the past if the road wasn't coned off then people continued on their merry way, but now with the gantry crosses it appeared no-one was daring to take the risk.

I took the M25 to J11 with my satnav still telling me to do a u-turn and go down the M3. Do I? Don't I? In the end I took the back road past Longcross, and what do I see when crossing over the M3? You guessed it, bloody open!

[Dr Interceptor]

Planet Claire said:

Imagine my delight last night, just after 8pm, when travelling on the M3 southbound to get to J2 at the M25 to find gantry messages saying the M3 was closed, workforce in the road and red crosses indicating lane closures. Of course there wasn't a workman in sight and no cones closing the road. In the past if the road wasn't coned off then people continued on their merry way, but now with the gantry crosses it appeared no-one was daring to take the risk.

I took the M25 to J11 with my satnav still telling me to do a u-turn and go down the M3. Do I? Don't I? In the end I took the back road past Longcross, and what do I see when crossing over the M3? You guessed it, bloody open!

Had the same Monday night coming back from Wembley....

10.15pm, M25 matrix signs indicated M3 shut between 4 and 4A. Not a problem for me, I come off at 4, but I was dropping home my mate who lives in cove, so 4A is better.

Got to the M3 preparing to come off at Jct 4, but no cones in the road, so I just sailed down an empty motorway while 99% of cars filtered off

[Mr Tidy]

Dr Interceptor said:

Had the same Monday night coming back from Wembley....

10.15pm, M25 matrix signs indicated M3 shut between 4 and 4A. Not a problem for me, I come off at 4, but I was dropping home my mate who lives in cove, so 4A is better.

Got to the M3 preparing to come off at Jct 4, but no cones in the road, so I just sailed down an empty motorway while 99% of cars filtered off

That seems to sum it up - we've all had nearly 4 years to work out alternative routes.

If only the signage was vaguely accurate - which does give me some concerns as I'm assuming the same button-pushers will be running it when it is finally finished (which it clearly isn't yet)!

[HorneyMX5]

Jct 2 - 3 closed last night according to all the signs on the m25 and M3. Except it wasn't. Drove all the way from the m25 to Basingstoke with no Works in progress last night.

Shambles.

[Dr Interceptor]

HorneyMX5 said:

Jct 2 - 3 closed last night according to all the signs on the m25 and M3. Except it wasn't. Drove all the way from the m25 to Basingstoke with no Works in progress last night.

Shambles.

Bunch of s.

Was coming back from the Ace café last night at 10pm, observed the M25 matrix signs and came down the A30. Got to the Ravenswood roundabout in Camberley and looked down at the M3 only to see a steady traffic flow.

[HorneyMX5]

I was coming back from the Ace as well.

[Mr Tidy]

I came home on the M3 last night (at about 20.30, so a rare treat) and it seemed to be open, but just after J3 South-bound there were signs saying the inside 3 lanes were closed in 600 yards, except they were still open when I left it at J4?

Someone pressing the buttons needs to do it based on what is really happening, or the whole concept is a waste of time and my tax revenue.

[ffc]

Lanes 1-3 closed nortbound between 4a to beyond 4 (where I left) on Thursday evening 22;30. Clearly not finished.

[silverfoxcc]

Well someone put me right!

I thought a 'smart' motorway was one where the hard shoulder is in use except during heavy traffic, and if there is a problem then it goes back to being a hard shoulder by means of copious gantries that carry information every 400 yds or so ( or it seems like it on the M42)

Whereas the M3 is just a glorified four lane dual carriageway with no gantry signs that will give the hard shoulder back.

I suppose the M4 will be the same monumental cock up?

Did J3 to Sunbury yesterday and the 2 inside lanes were free..MY own private 70mph road , except at J2 when people tried going from L4 to L1 and v/v at the last possible moment.
It really needs signs in the central reservation for those tts who drive in L4 all the timeat least they will not be blocked by the HGV's in L1-3

OR Bloody great concrete block lane seperators two miles beforehand so a nice 70mph bimble in L4 going to Sunbury doesnt turn into a brake test from the pillock in front who suddenly realises where he is


And Breathe



WOFTAM

[Mr Tidy]

Special treat today!

J4 to J2 was closed when I was driving towards it around mid-day - I don't remember seeing any signs warning of the closure last week!

[Dr Interceptor]

J4 slip road northbound was shut Saturday morning when I went to use it. No prior warning, just arrived at the slip road to be met with 'road closed' signs.

The motorway itself was open, just had to drive to Bagshot to get on it.

[Truckosaurus]

Dr Interceptor said:

J4 slip road northbound was shut Saturday morning when I went to use it.....

It was still closed around 6pm Saturday as I'd come off at J4 Northbound and was surprised to see the on-ramp coned off.

Perhaps they were removing the concrete blocks at the top of the sliproad?

[Dr Interceptor]

Truckosaurus said:

Dr Interceptor said:

J4 slip road northbound was shut Saturday morning when I went to use it.....

It was still closed around 6pm Saturday as I'd come off at J4 Northbound and was surprised to see the on-ramp coned off.

Perhaps they were removing the concrete blocks at the top of the sliproad?

Pretty much all day then.

Would have been nice to have some warning - some 'No access to M3 northbound' signs on the A331 would have saved the melee at the J4 northbound roundabout.

[Trevatanus]

Dr Interceptor said:

Truckosaurus said:

Dr Interceptor said:

J4 slip road northbound was shut Saturday morning when I went to use it.....

It was still closed around 6pm Saturday as I'd come off at J4 Northbound and was surprised to see the on-ramp coned off.

Perhaps they were removing the concrete blocks at the top of the sliproad?

Pretty much all day then.

Would have been nice to have some warning - some 'No access to M3 northbound' signs on the A331 would have saved the melee at the J4 northbound roundabout.

Same here...
Had to be at Heathrow mid evening, so thought I would make a point of getting on the M3 before it closed.
Nope. Closed "all weekend according to the signs.
Drove back in the early hours, M25 heading toward the M3, signs saying "Closed 12-13". No mention of 2-4a.
Called the Highways Agency to let them know their mistake (Wouldn't be the first time)
Got told that the motorway was open.
Turns out it was only the sliproad closed.

[craig2859]

Hi All,

Does anyone know if these new cameras on the new smart section of the M3 are operational yet, for my sins I was flashed at 5am about 2 weeks ago (Mon 28th Aug) by one of the new cameras just after Fleet Services, so far nothing (fingers crossed) nothing has come through the post?

Anyone who knows anything or has experienced this, please put me out of my misery ....lol

Thank you

[FurtiveFreddy]

Trevatanus said:

Same here...
Had to be at Heathrow mid evening, so thought I would make a point of getting on the M3 before it closed.
Nope. Closed "all weekend according to the signs.
Drove back in the early hours, M25 heading toward the M3, signs saying "Closed 12-13". No mention of 2-4a.
Called the Highways Agency to let them know their mistake (Wouldn't be the first time)
Got told that the motorway was open.
Turns out it was only the sliproad closed.

I had the same trying to get to Heathrow first thing Sunday morning for a flight.
Drove down the A30 and crossed over the M3 to see it was open so got on at J3.
Specifically checked the AA/HA traffic sites before I left.
Don't know why I was surprised.

[SVTRick]

craig2859 said:

Hi All,

Does anyone know if these new cameras on the new smart section of the M3 are operational yet, for my sins I was flashed at 5am about 2 weeks ago (Mon 28th Aug) by one of the new cameras just after Fleet Services, so far nothing (fingers crossed) nothing has come through the post?

Anyone who knows anything or has experienced this, please put me out of my misery ....lol

Thank you

I think the camera partnership are running and end of summer promotion.
Triple points for the first 4 months of operation.
Look out for your winning ticket arriving in a brown paper envelope.
May need to get your claim in within 14 days
No cash back prizes
If you fail to claim you will still get another chance to get your free points.

[yellowjack]

craig2859 said:

Hi All,

Does anyone know if these new cameras on the new smart section of the M3 are operational yet, for my sins I was flashed at 5am about 2 weeks ago (Mon 28th Aug) by one of the new cameras just after Fleet Services, so far nothing (fingers crossed) nothing has come through the post?

Anyone who knows anything or has experienced this, please put me out of my misery ....lol

Thank you

There's a thread running here...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

...all about the M3 speed cameras. You might get more joy on that one?

[craig2859]

Thanks, Ill take a look there