NEW SPEED CAMERA GANTRY SECTION ON M5

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For anyone that hasn't heard yet, we are lucky enough that our Government has found around 12 million pounds to spend on building us some lovely speed camera gantry's on the M5.

The new variable speed limit section will run from Jnct 23 Dunball to Jnct 25 Taunton. Expected to be up and running by 2020.

That's all I can write for now as I need the sick bucket.

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TDIfurby said:

Doubt it will be any different than the section through 18-15 at Bristol. The ones around Brizzle appear to keep traffic moving nicely from the few experiences I have had going through there.

You won't be saying that when they catch you out one day.

My mate who does 50k miles a year on motorways said to me "only a blind idiot could be caught by them" and guess what, a month later he got caught, haha, true story.

The thing that really gets to me about the M5/M4 section, is on the M4 eastbound at the sliproad for the M32, they have actually reduced the 3 lanes of the M4 down to 2 lanes, by painting over lane 1. They have artificially created the bottleneck! Painting over and thus making the available road space unusable is just insane.

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tqadam said:

I normally cruise around 65-70 on my way up and down the M5, but variable/average cameras make me so nervous and tense. I hate them!

Yep, a stat we will never get out hands on is how many collisions they are contributing to from flashing brake lights and panic braking.

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TDIfurby said:

I'll be OK as I don't speed on motorways. Normally at most it'll be 75mph indicated, slot in 6th, cruise on. Chill.

You do realise 75mph is above the limit? Yes I know you're going to tell me how speedo's over-read, but something as simple as tyre pressures can change that.

Your cruise won't be on for long between J23 and J25 lol, as the speed limit could be 70, 60, 50, 40, and changing at every gantry.

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The gantries will be a nightmare for you then, 40, 60, 40, 50,70 etc.

You'll actually have to use the pedals.

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Synchromesh said:

Surely that's to make space for the two exit slip lanes? Someone probably worked out that around half the traffic going eastbound here turns off onto the M32 (and I can quite believe it). Any time I've gone straight on here I've found that short two-lane section of the M4 relatively empty, so it's not really 'insane' is it?

It would've made more sense, however, if the M4 had been kept as two lanes for a bit longer and only become three again from the J19 entry slip, to make it easier for people joining here.

Nope. There is a whole lane of white paint 'out of bounds' on the 3 lane M4, reducing it to 2 lanes to create an artificial bottle neck. If you want to build more slip roads you don't create a bottle neck on the existing road, you build to the left of it. So yes, it is really insane. Do-gooder fkwittery at its very best. I'm sure it was designed by the latest batch of civil engineers with qualifications coming out of their (wet behind) ears.

Of course it's "relatively empty", they have just squeezed 3 lanes of traffic down to 2 lanes and 40mph on a flowing motorway! Insane! When the last gantry is passed, traffic speeds back up to a natural flow as it escapes from the artificial man-made bottle neck.

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GlenMH said:

Not necessarily. In the Merc: 2 down flicks on the stalk to take the speed limiter down from 75 - 65 and keep the foot flat...

Yes, but the point is it's still pointless.