M3 Nightmare Continues!
Discussion
Frimley111R said:
Mr Tidy said:
Frimley111R said:
Shock and amazeballs! The slip road from the M25 to M3 south (coming from Guildford/Gatwick direction) is OPEN!!! No roadworks at all.
I don't believe you - photos or it never happened! 
Still I may find out Monday evening!
Will check tomorrow, but as it will be after 20.00 I expect it will be shut as usual!
FurtiveFreddy said:
Today's M3 accident. Can you guess where it is and what happened?
I'd put money on it that is what had happened on 18 Oct when I headed Northbound from J4 only to be told it was closed at J3. Fortunately after 10/15 minutes stationary it was then reopened so presumably the mess had been cleared away!
I don't think I ever get off at J2 heading onto the anti-clockwise M25 without someone in Lane 1 or 2 wanting to head towards Gatwick or someone in Lane 3 wanting to head for Heathrow - and when both arrive at the same time there is only one likely outcome.
But how f
g moronic are these people - the signage is pretty clear! They just need to put a concrete barrier between Lanes 2 and 3 - if the morons get in the wrong lane they'll just have to go to the next junction on the M25 and come back. Serve them right!
I'll see what happens tomorrow - second thoughts, it being Friday I think I'll just avoid it!
FurtiveFreddy said:
For us, the outside lane of the freeway is the inside lane of the M3, but a stranded vehicle possibly broken down with no lights on is so vulnerable it's scary. Thankfully, I'd say most people in this country have enough intelligence to get out and climb over the barrier. In the U.S. they just don't seem to realise how it can go wrong in an instant.
Sorry, but after 6+ years using the M3 I'd have to say that I've seen plenty of people with less than the amount of intelligence required to get out of the car and climb over the barrier (always assuming they knew what it was, could actually locate it and then get over it)! It's just a matter of time before it all goes horribly wrong - I just hope I'm not on it when it does.
FurtiveFreddy said:
It really was only a matter of time. That was in daylight as well. With the nights drawing in, we're going to see more like this unfortunately.
Yes, it really was! I came off the M25 clockwise onto the M3 at J2 tonight at around 20.30 and there was a Focus with hazard lights on but where it had stopped there was still a hard shoulder, even though there are now 2 lanes onto the slip-road (at last)!
The main difference at this time of day (i.e out of peak hours) seems to be that people travel along at 70ish with 2 empty lanes to their left whereas before there was only 1 empty lane!
It would be so much better if lane discipline was enforced!
DJT said:
I'm sure there's also many more breakdowns in the holidays as all the cars used only for local runs are put to the test on long motorway journeys. Of course, breakdowns and smart motrways are not IN ANY WAY compatible.
There, fixed that for you! Out of curiosity I was checking last week - the new refuges from J4 to J2 are about 1.5 miles apart! That is a long way with a flat tyre or no coolant!
Crossflow Kid said:
Sixty to ninety second at normal speeds on a free flowing motorway.......which of course the M3 is, every hour of every day, obviously.
Well of course - apart from when it isn't! 
Mind you it has improved no end in the last few months to be fair.
But why do they still have a 50 limit with average cameras on the first mile or so when you join it at J2 from the M25 anti-clockwise?
FurtiveFreddy said:
A lot of them are obviously retired...
I was almost wiped off the M25 on Sunday by some dozy git who decided to move into lane 3 just as I was overtaking
Without doubt, more idiots than ever out there!
Oi - I'm retired! I was almost wiped off the M25 on Sunday by some dozy git who decided to move into lane 3 just as I was overtaking
Without doubt, more idiots than ever out there!
Edited by FurtiveFreddy on Tuesday 12th December 16:13
I nearly got wiped out a few times on the M3 from J2 to J4 then M25 to A3 to Tolworth yesterday - the problem as I see it isn't so much retired as retarded!
And that seems to apply to any age group! Crossflow Kid said:
SydneyBridge said:
Saw 4 police motorbikes on M3 northbound earlier escorting a range rover with another RR behind
Just seen that Princess Anne was in Basingstoke earlier, would she warrant this type of convoy?
Yes.Just seen that Princess Anne was in Basingstoke earlier, would she warrant this type of convoy?
I wouldn't go there even with a Plod Escort (or Focus in the modern world)!
It's not exactly like it has anything deserving of royal attention, unless there is a potential prize winning nag out that way!
Nimby said:
For the northern section maybe.
The "M25 to Solent" strategy says they'll be upgrading J9 to J14 to smart motorway from 2019 to 2022
Great - I never use that bit why should they miss out on the misery? The "M25 to Solent" strategy says they'll be upgrading J9 to J14 to smart motorway from 2019 to 2022
Well now it's finished I hope they can find some "Smart" operators!
I went from J4 to J2 today at around 15.00, and just past J3 there was a gantry showing a 50 limit and a "Queue Ahead", so wasn't surprised to find the next gantry showed a 40 limit. But the next 2 displayed a 60 limit - and there was no obstruction or lane closure anywhere!
Although a lower limit just before J2 might have been a good idea, seeing as the queue onto the slip road for the anti-clockwise M25 was backing up onto the M3!
But that was only because whoever operates these limits had backed up the M25 from J12 to J11 by imposing lower limits on it, like they do every day! They even managed to do it on Xmas day at around 12.00.
They'll never be smart motorways all the time they are operated by morons!
I went from J4 to J2 today at around 15.00, and just past J3 there was a gantry showing a 50 limit and a "Queue Ahead", so wasn't surprised to find the next gantry showed a 40 limit. But the next 2 displayed a 60 limit - and there was no obstruction or lane closure anywhere!
Although a lower limit just before J2 might have been a good idea, seeing as the queue onto the slip road for the anti-clockwise M25 was backing up onto the M3!
But that was only because whoever operates these limits had backed up the M25 from J12 to J11 by imposing lower limits on it, like they do every day! They even managed to do it on Xmas day at around 12.00.
They'll never be smart motorways all the time they are operated by morons!
Frimley111R said:
Had the same issue as you guys. Closed the slip road northbound at 4a as I got there at 10.30pm. WTF are they doing apart from milking their way through the highways budget??!!
It's not Carillion doing the work is it? They're apparently about £1.5 billion short from balancing their budget!
Dr Interceptor said:
I took the Volkswagen on a run to site in Lightwater this morning... Try as I might, I couldn't make the yellow cameras flash. Not even on the downhill bit approaching Jct4 heading Westbound.
But then the Beetle does top out just below 80mph
Maybe best not to try it in the Interceptor! But then the Beetle does top out just below 80mph
Mr Tidy said:
It's not Carillion doing the work is it?
They're apparently about £1.5 billion short from balancing their budget!
Oops - I said that a bit tongue in cheek! They're apparently about £1.5 billion short from balancing their budget!
But I'm sure I read somewhere that they were monitoring the "Smart" motorways.
Still, the sooner the staff stop turning up the better!
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