Motorway roadworks speed limit to be raised
Discussion
article said:
Speed limits through most roadworks on England's motorways will be raised to increase traffic flow and ease driver "frustrations".
Highways England says raising the limit to 60mph from the usual 50mph comes after "extensive research and trials".
The AA welcomed the move, saying it would reduce journey times and help reduce tailgating by motorists.
Previously, unions have said increasing speeds through roadworks will put the safety of workers at risk.
Limits will not necessarily be increased at every set of roadworks.
Depending on the road layout and the work being done, 40mph and 50mph restrictions will continue to be used in places.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-53541440Highways England says raising the limit to 60mph from the usual 50mph comes after "extensive research and trials".
The AA welcomed the move, saying it would reduce journey times and help reduce tailgating by motorists.
Previously, unions have said increasing speeds through roadworks will put the safety of workers at risk.
Limits will not necessarily be increased at every set of roadworks.
Depending on the road layout and the work being done, 40mph and 50mph restrictions will continue to be used in places.
Things seem to have moved on with roadworks and how they are arranged on motorways.
For the larger or longer duration works they set up those very substantial looking metal or concrete barrier systems between the traffic flow and the works. With these in place it does seem like it would allow a slightly higher speed to be maintained and still provide adequate protection to all parties.
Obviously the short term works like the ones they do overnight would still be using cones and would provide no protection for the roadworkers and motorists, the lower limits would need to be in place for these situations.
For the larger or longer duration works they set up those very substantial looking metal or concrete barrier systems between the traffic flow and the works. With these in place it does seem like it would allow a slightly higher speed to be maintained and still provide adequate protection to all parties.
Obviously the short term works like the ones they do overnight would still be using cones and would provide no protection for the roadworkers and motorists, the lower limits would need to be in place for these situations.
Several things strike me.
The proposed minimum length of roadworks that was mentioned a few years ago has never come to fruition and that would probably ease frustration more than raising the limit slightly through 34 miles of roadworks.
Most of the roadworks are for smart motorways. When they were only for routine stuff such as resurfacing, they were never so common or long lasting. When the smart motorways are finally finished, they only improve journey times by a couple of minutes per driver on average and it will take years to make up the time lost to the roadworks. Every breakdown or crash that closes the motorway because it can't just be moved onto the hard shoulder sets back the time savings again.
Local authorities and the Highways Agency are becoming increasingly risk averse and are dropping speed limits all over the place in response to everything from accidents to cycling schemes to environmental issues to a few people campaigning over their perception of a danger. Often the initial issue isn't speed or the speed limit, but cutting the limit is a quick and easy answer to the problem. Even new roads are less than NSL for no clear reason.
Along with increasing the single carriageway limit for HGVs, the roadworks limit is probably one of the riskier limits to increase in comparison to allowing higher speeds on perfectly ordinary major roads. The frustrations and dangers that have been responded to in relation to low roadworks limits and slow HGVs apply everywhere a low limit is imposed.
The proposed minimum length of roadworks that was mentioned a few years ago has never come to fruition and that would probably ease frustration more than raising the limit slightly through 34 miles of roadworks.
Most of the roadworks are for smart motorways. When they were only for routine stuff such as resurfacing, they were never so common or long lasting. When the smart motorways are finally finished, they only improve journey times by a couple of minutes per driver on average and it will take years to make up the time lost to the roadworks. Every breakdown or crash that closes the motorway because it can't just be moved onto the hard shoulder sets back the time savings again.
Local authorities and the Highways Agency are becoming increasingly risk averse and are dropping speed limits all over the place in response to everything from accidents to cycling schemes to environmental issues to a few people campaigning over their perception of a danger. Often the initial issue isn't speed or the speed limit, but cutting the limit is a quick and easy answer to the problem. Even new roads are less than NSL for no clear reason.
Along with increasing the single carriageway limit for HGVs, the roadworks limit is probably one of the riskier limits to increase in comparison to allowing higher speeds on perfectly ordinary major roads. The frustrations and dangers that have been responded to in relation to low roadworks limits and slow HGVs apply everywhere a low limit is imposed.
Good (and slightly surprising) news.
Although it's 'only' 10mph faster, it's a much smaller reduction in speed from 70. So it'll feel less like you're stuck in treacle.
Also, the start and end of such roadworks zones can be a bit of a mess. Some drivers decelerate to 50mph as soon as they spy a sign, others continue at 80 until they reach the first actual average speed camera gantry. This leads to high speed differentials in the roadworks entry section, which invites collisions. So halving the differential would help.
Marcellus said:
On the M1 between Northampton and Luton there’s been roadworks for quite a while.
Some of it was a 50 and some was a 60.
Whenever I drove it the 60 always seemed to flow better with better distance between vehicles, with more lorries staying in lane 1.
You only need to see the difference when you get past J14 on the M6 north when it changes to 60. Some of it was a 50 and some was a 60.
Whenever I drove it the 60 always seemed to flow better with better distance between vehicles, with more lorries staying in lane 1.
Much better.
The spinner of plates said:
I’d happily reduce it to 30mph.
If they, you know, actually worked as quickly and efficiently as possible 24/7 to get the job done ASAP.
But they don’t. Miles and miles of roadworks cordon off.. for two blokes to be standing chatting and one in a digger looking at his phone...
This.If they, you know, actually worked as quickly and efficiently as possible 24/7 to get the job done ASAP.
But they don’t. Miles and miles of roadworks cordon off.. for two blokes to be standing chatting and one in a digger looking at his phone...
If productivity is the key then legislate to get the feckin roadworks done and dusted in double quick time.
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