Average Speed - Roadworks Just South Of Tebay Services??
Average Speed - Roadworks Just South Of Tebay Services??
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Discussion

Goa'uld

Original Poster:

663 posts

232 months

Saturday 28th December 2013
quotequote all
I was heading down South this morning and passed through roadworks which were just past Tebay services on the M6 at around 0800hrs.

Does anyone know the deal with these - are they active as there is no work going on?

On approach to them I see the yellow poles with their beady eyes (I'm well used to seeing these on the A77), so I continue at 70 as per the speed limit.

My issue is that after entering the average section a sign flashed up 40 in the central reservation - up to this point there had been no signage at all which is why I entered at 70. As soon as I saw that sign I dropped down to 30 for the rest of the section which was as slow as could be travelled without igniting serious road rage with those behind.....was rather busy. I did drop to 20ish at one point as well however stopping dead was not an option.

Does anyone know anything about this section? I'm pretty peeved at this as there was nothing stating the required speed on entering the average speed and then the only sign available was on the other side of the barrier - so if a vehicle had passed and obscured my view of the electronic sign (entirely possible) then I could have carried on at 70 the whole way.

Edited by Goa'uld on Sunday 29th December 00:09


Edited by Goa'uld on Sunday 29th December 00:16

ad551

1,502 posts

243 months

Sunday 29th December 2013
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Definitely 40 through there and has been for a few months now. I'm guessing the signs might have been blown over in the megawind yesterday and there has been no one to put them back up...I'd guess if you and others did get a ticket you'd be able to appeal it successfully.

Goa'uld

Original Poster:

663 posts

232 months

Sunday 29th December 2013
quotequote all
Thanks for the reply - I'm going to email the highways agency about it, as soon as I saw the flashing sign I dropped to 30 but really don't know if that was enough to cancel it out.

Would you class that as 'M6 Junction 38 Southbound Tebay Bridge' as that is the one I've found.

ad551

1,502 posts

243 months

Sunday 29th December 2013
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Yep, that's the one. Good luck!

mygoldfishbowl

4,285 posts

173 months

Sunday 29th December 2013
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Some motorway roadworks are suspended for Christmas & on some the lower limits are removed, I don't know if this is the case for that stretch of works though. I can't recall ever seeing a centre reservation illuminated sign illuminating a lower limit for roadworks & the ones on that section of the M6 can't illuminate a red ring so the 40 you saw would have only been advisory. I can imagine the illuminated sign you saw had nothing to do with the roadworks.



Edited by mygoldfishbowl on Sunday 29th December 01:07

Richspec

171 posts

280 months

Sunday 29th December 2013
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The flashing 40 sign is for the roadworks, its there to remind you if you're speeding!, there's normaly loads of advance signing there and 40mph signs leading into the coned section from when you pass the services.

Richspec

171 posts

280 months

Sunday 29th December 2013
quotequote all
I've had a look and seen signs going back up from around lunchtime yesterday.
some went down overnight on boxing day, either by design or by the weather.

Goa'uld

Original Poster:

663 posts

232 months

Sunday 29th December 2013
quotequote all
Again, thanks for chiming in on this - will update as I hear (hopefully nothing but not holding my breath on this).

Rich, your name is quite apt for this topic 'specs'!

I found ha_info@highways.gsi.gov.uk , does anyone know a better one than that?

Richspec

171 posts

280 months

Sunday 29th December 2013
quotequote all
you could ask enterprisemouchel's Area 13 office if the signs were blown down or taken down?

info@emhighways.co.uk

Rich

Goa'uld

Original Poster:

663 posts

232 months

Sunday 29th December 2013
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Cracking, will send the same mail to both, what a start to the new year festivities!

The Surveyor

7,624 posts

267 months

Sunday 29th December 2013
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I drove through yesterday and there were plenty of advanced warning signs confirming 40 mph.

What I can't understand is why the limit is set so low. Most roadworks on a motorway are set at 50 mph!

The layout of the roadworks looks well thought out and there are no areas where oncoming traffic is only separated by cones (always by those metal barriers) so where is the extra risk?

Paul

Goa'uld

Original Poster:

663 posts

232 months

Sunday 29th December 2013
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How many miles would you say in length it is?

Richspec

171 posts

280 months

Sunday 29th December 2013
quotequote all
dunno, less than a mile for the actual roadworks?
I'd imagine its 40 due to the shape of the diversion, rather than just in a straight line, it has (or had) a bend in it at either end, and have you seen how many people drive into cones...

anonymous-user

84 months

Monday 30th December 2013
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Run this route at least 3 times a week.
Signs are up for some distance in both directions and these are long term works. I can not really say why the limit is 40 other than there is a short distance southbound from the start of the works to a split from 3 to 2 lanes for J38 exit and the large truckstop so maybe the lower speed is to allow for the lane changes, only a few months ago a hgv jackknifed at this exact spot as quite a few drivers don't read the signs and swerve at the last minute when they see the cones. It's not great as us HGV's are banned by width from lane 2 after the split, so it can cause some "moments" if you are not familiar with the layout.
It may look like no one is working but the works are actually under the carriageway for bridge strengthening, hence why all the traffic is moved to one side, maybe another reason for the 40 instead of 50?
If the OP was in daylight I would expect punishment, not being funny but I passed there last week after the winds on Monday and all of the signs were in place, from at least a mile away, and there are many of them pointing out both the presence of roadworks and of cameras but hey ho?

Goa'uld

Original Poster:

663 posts

232 months

Tuesday 7th January 2014
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Well no ticket yet however if it does appear then I've already got proof to back up the event.

EM Highway Services Limited have come back on email to me confirming that their worklogs show continual re-erection of the signs at Tebay due to overly high winds at the time and date of my travel.

Nice to have the proof in writing - both myself and the passenger were awake and alert (obviously as driver I was awake by default!) and there was no speed sign before getting to the electronic lit up 40 within the average section.

Thanks again to ad551 and Richspec for the helping hand and spot on email address for the enquiry.

Much more at ease now chaps.