A1101 Closed early tonight
Discussion
On the A1101 the road closes at 7pm at Littleport and Shippea Hill, reopening at 6am. I can understand this as the road surface has become so bad it's rather dangerous.
Knowing this I set off to reach the Littleport end of the A1101 at 6:48 so I could be heading to Lakenheath before the closure. Not a lot spare but gives enough time even if the level crossing shut.
The road gang had already shut the Littleport end of the road so I had to follow through to Prickwillow and back up to Shippea Hill, by which point it was now ten past seven and that part of the road had been closed. I politely asked if I could get through (you could see my village from the roadblock) but was told the road was closed and I'd have to go round. I did try to persuade them but they weren't interested. I was polite at all times, as were the workforce.
If I'd been in the Vectra I'd have just have dumped it there and walked home but as I didn't want to leave the MG out I had to drive home. This was over 25 miles on top of the other diversion.
In short I've done about 30 miles extra and wasted an hour because somebody wouldn't wait until the proper time before shutting the road.
1. Is closing the road down before the advertised time legal?
2. Am I legally allowed to invoice the road company for the mileage at HMRC rates and time as it was an expense entirely due to their negligence?
They'd already closed the road one night a week before the dates on the notice but let me though. Similarly when the road at Feltwell was closed they were weeks outside the dates on the signs, again leading to avoidable delays and extra mileage.
I'll accept roadwork diversions when they are notified in advance but I get the impression the contractors can't give a damn about misleading signs or the wasted time and expense incurred by the public as a result.
Does anybody know who the best people to complain to would be? I'm sure complaining to the contractors would be a waste of time so their customers might be a better start...
Knowing this I set off to reach the Littleport end of the A1101 at 6:48 so I could be heading to Lakenheath before the closure. Not a lot spare but gives enough time even if the level crossing shut.
The road gang had already shut the Littleport end of the road so I had to follow through to Prickwillow and back up to Shippea Hill, by which point it was now ten past seven and that part of the road had been closed. I politely asked if I could get through (you could see my village from the roadblock) but was told the road was closed and I'd have to go round. I did try to persuade them but they weren't interested. I was polite at all times, as were the workforce.
If I'd been in the Vectra I'd have just have dumped it there and walked home but as I didn't want to leave the MG out I had to drive home. This was over 25 miles on top of the other diversion.
In short I've done about 30 miles extra and wasted an hour because somebody wouldn't wait until the proper time before shutting the road.
1. Is closing the road down before the advertised time legal?
2. Am I legally allowed to invoice the road company for the mileage at HMRC rates and time as it was an expense entirely due to their negligence?
They'd already closed the road one night a week before the dates on the notice but let me though. Similarly when the road at Feltwell was closed they were weeks outside the dates on the signs, again leading to avoidable delays and extra mileage.
I'll accept roadwork diversions when they are notified in advance but I get the impression the contractors can't give a damn about misleading signs or the wasted time and expense incurred by the public as a result.
Does anybody know who the best people to complain to would be? I'm sure complaining to the contractors would be a waste of time so their customers might be a better start...
You could compain to the Highways Department of the County, but as for recompense, there's no proof of the time of closure or of your arrival, and even if there was, I doubt very much whether you'd have any grounds.
You were just the victim of a jobsworth, and apart from writing a letter to get it off your chest (you could copy it to the local paper as well) that's about it I think.
You were just the victim of a jobsworth, and apart from writing a letter to get it off your chest (you could copy it to the local paper as well) that's about it I think.
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