The Road's Shut ok?
Motorists ignoring diversion and endangering workmen
Drivers are putting themselves and the lives of road workers at risk as they drive through closed sections of the A556 Chester Road at Bucklow Hill in Cheshire.
A major resurfacing scheme is currently in place and drivers are ignoring the road closures necessary for the work to be completed.
The A556, which is the main route between the M6 north and the M56, is currently closed overnight and all day at weekends while the resurfacing work is being carried out, between the junctions with the A50 at Mere and the M56 Motorway at Junction 8.
Despite extensive pre-construction publicity and clearly signed diversion routes, drivers are ignoring the closures and trying to force their way through the roadworks.
The work started on Friday 6 February and is due to be completed on 4 April. The road is closed from 8.00pm until 6.00am Monday to Thursday and 8.00pm Friday until 6.00am Monday morning.
Highways Agency Project Manager Freda Rashdi said:
"I cannot stress too strongly how dangerous it is for motorist
s to ignore these roadworks closures. We are working with the police to try and ensure the signed diversion route is followed and motorist
s who try and drive through the road works are dealt with appropriately
.
"Lorry drivers using GPS systems to try and find a quicker alternative route have also been causing problems, by ending up on totally unsuitable minor roads
.
"The diversion route is specifically chosen to be able to carry the volume and type of heavy goods traffic that use the motorway network and it is essential that motorist
s use these routes rather than try and find their own way
."
The £1.3 million resurfacing is being carried out at night and at weekends to minimise disruption to motorist
s
The road, which carries up to 40,000 vehicles a day, is a key link in the strategic road network linking Birmingham and Manchester and is also an important local road providing access to Manchester Airport and local tourist attractions such as Tatton Park.
Access is being kept open to local residents and the emergency services but is being abused by motorists.
Figures show that 11 people were killed in Highways Agency road works between October 2000 and February 2002 by moving traffic. This equates to a 1 in 1000 chance of being killed.
What the politicians also fail to tell us is that this road has a mad farmer who has to stop traffic creating an £300,000 traffic hold up daily, while he moves £23.50 worth of milk accross the road. That of course is not dangerous as the cows have all had advanced pedetrian training.
There are of course scameras on this road and from time to time the entire Cheshire police force show up complete with SWAT team to catch real criminals like road tax dodgers. There has been the odd bump from time to time, invariably caused by allowing 1950s style road junctions to still exist on what is really a 21st century road. (at least useage wise it is).
As for the 1 in 1000 chance of dying in a road works accident? According to the same statistician there is a 1 in 5 chance of the second coming of the great prophet Zarquon next week. Where do these idiots get the idea that everyone came down with the last drop of rain?
Should drivers drive through the roadworks? Well, yes I think it is about time we took a stand against stupidity. Just stop the roadworks would be a great idea. Then take all the workers from the Cheshire Murder death kill partnership and give them a pick axe and a Donkey Jacket. Make them report for work Monday to start building the 6 lane bypass.
As the trunk route from Manchester to the M6 it is completely unacceptable for this road to be shut AT ANY TIME. Compounded by the fact that when the M56 was built they neglected to put in a proper junction with the M6 making the whole thing a joke at the motorists expense.
It is absolutely unbelievable that there is no M way to connect Manchester directly to the M6 south - we have had the M61 in place for years to cater for traffic to Scotland
, or is it there so that delegates can get to Blackpool for the annual party conference?nonegreen said:
What the politicians also fail to tell us is that this road has a mad farmer who has to stop traffic creating an £300,000 traffic hold up daily, while he moves £23.50 worth of milk accross the road. That of course is not dangerous as the cows have all had advanced pedetrian training.
Does he still do that?
I used to regularly fume at this petty prick, 10 years ago.
So the proposed bypass has been dropped again, FFS, its great to live in the safe seat provinces isn't it.
XM5ER said:
What the politicians also fail to tell us is that this road has a mad farmer who has to stop traffic creating an £300,000 traffic hold up daily, while he moves £23.50 worth of milk accross the road. That of course is not dangerous as the cows have all had advanced pedetrian training.
Does he still do that?
I used to regularly fume at this petty prick, 10 years ago.
So the proposed bypass has been dropped again, FFS, its great to live in the safe seat provinces isn't it.
- significantly lower than the 10/day figure for the roads in general
- lower than police drivers kill each year (they said 20/year on the news today)
- lower than the 800/year dying of MRSA in hospitals.
This would suggest to me that roadworks are pretty safe places to drive and even to work (though I don't know the work-related death rate). So what's with the "1 in a 1000" chance of death, then?
- About 600,000 die each year; 8/600,000 = 1 in 75,000. No that's not it
- About 3500 die on the roads each year; 8/3500 ~= 1 in 450. Not that either.
I can't see where the number comes from? Anyone help?
Peter Ward said:
11 people killed over a 17 month period including 2 winters, ie. just less than 8/year. Obviously not good to kill anyone in roadworks, but:
- significantly lower than the 10/day figure for the roads in general
- lower than police drivers kill each year (they said 20/year on the news today)
- lower than the 800/year dying of MRSA in hospitals.
This would suggest to me that roadworks are pretty safe places to drive and even to work (though I don't know the work-related death rate). So what's with the "1 in a 1000" chance of death, then?
- About 600,000 die each year; 8/600,000 = 1 in 75,000. No that's not it
- About 3500 die on the roads each year; 8/3500 ~= 1 in 450. Not that either.
I can't see where the number comes from? Anyone help?
Its Bistromaths....
Peter Ward said:
11 people killed over a 17 month period including 2 winters, ie. just less than 8/year. Obviously not good to kill anyone in roadworks, but:
- significantly lower than the 10/day figure for the roads in general
- lower than police drivers kill each year (they said 20/year on the news today)
- lower than the 800/year dying of MRSA in hospitals.
This would suggest to me that roadworks are pretty safe places to drive and even to work (though I don't know the work-related death rate). So what's with the "1 in a 1000" chance of death, then?
- About 600,000 die each year; 8/600,000 = 1 in 75,000. No that's not it
- About 3500 die on the roads each year; 8/3500 ~= 1 in 450. Not that either.
I can't see where the number comes from? Anyone help?
maybe they think that for every 1000 roadworks,1 person dies.......so they only do 8000 jobs a year then........not exactly hard to see that is it??...i mean just look at the state of the roads....wtf are the highways agency doing the rest of the time......sitting in their trucks smoking hash and playing 'light your own farts'??
>> Edited by cortinaman on Friday 27th February 21:53
swilly said:
I'm confused.
If you want to get from the M6 to M56 or vice versa why not drive onto junction 9 which is where the M6 and M56 interface?
Yeah Swilly mate
Why didn't I think of that?
God I feel stupid.
But not as stupid as the clever dick who did not put a southbound exit from the M56 to the M6
With logic like that you just know that the rest of the road planning in the area has gone to shit - hence us getting hot under the collar.
planetdave said:
I'm confused.
If you want to get from the M6 to M56 or vice versa why not drive onto junction 9 which is where the M6 and M56 interface?
Yeah Swilly mate
Why didn't I think of that?
God I feel stupid.
But not as stupid as the clever dick who did not put a southbound exit from the M56 to the M6
With logic like that you just know that the rest of the road planning in the area has gone to shit - hence us getting hot under the collar.
No its much worse than that. When they were looking for a planner they asked for stupid people with experience of gardenning. Then they smashed their brains in and asked them to come up with daft ideas ideas for road plans. These ideas were mostly OK so they got David Begg to select the "best ones"
You exit the M56 to get upto the A50 double roundabout siyuated over the M6, use this to cross the M6 towards the services area and head on down the M6 southbound sliproad that way.
Thats what I used to do.
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