M5 madness friday night
Discussion
Je-hesus. That was a journey and a half.
I live near Cambridge but am doing quite a lot of commuting to Cheltenham at the moment, involving A14/M6/M42/M5. Ghastly, but cross-crountry at a time that intersects with school runs is worse. Lots worse.
Anyway, had a bite to eat last night before leaving Chelters. Left at 6.50pm. M5 immediately ground to a halt... bugger. I knew there were roadworks ahead, so I thought that once through those, it'd clear up. Not so, unfortunately, and soon after there was another road works sign, followed by signs saying the outside two lanes were closed ahead. That'd do it, I thought, and stuck with it some more. I should mention that I'd managed to leave my road atlas at home, and since I thought the roadworks were the cause of things, I thought I'd just stay with it and save myself the cost of an atlas.
Some while later and getting desperate, I opted to phone a friend, who told me that the M5 was closed totally at the M50 junction due to an accident. Must have been a biggun, because I hit the queue at about 7pm, and didn't leave the motorway at the M50 until about 10pm. Yep, that's perhaps 20 miles in three hours. Took another hour to divert along the M50 and up the A38 to the arse end of Worcester to rejoin the M5.
Now, the fact that the M5 was closed due to accident is fair enough, though unfortunate. What I'd really like to know is this. Why the fsck did the police wait until the M50 to give **any** indication that the road was closed? And why the M50? It only goes sodding west. Muppetry at its worst. So the whole of the M5 north goes along the M50 (ok, ish), then off at the A38 through many small villages with windy roads completely unsuitable for trucks. We were doing maybe 10 mph most of the way - some 25 or so miles. Oh, and when we did get diverted off the M5, the coppers had the roundabout coned in such a way that you couldn't elect to turn around and take the M5 south for a junction in order to pick up an *eastbound* exit. FFS!
Better, and earlier, signing of the fact that the road was closed would have given everyone with a map a chance to dive off at the nearest junction and find another route, rather than merely assuming that the roadworks were responsible, and it'd probably clear up. It would have led to less pressure on the A38 around Worcester, with traffic distributing itself areound more local roads. Had I known early on that it was a smash, I'd have left the motorway and bought a map and been on my way. Instead, I got no traffic broadcasts, and didn't see a single police car until the M50 junction where we got diverted off.
Once again, this country leads the way in proving itself completely unable to deal with anything tricky and transport related. Sorry, we can't possibly think beyond the end of our nose and think about intelligent ways to deal with this crisis... we'll just do the minimum possible and let everyone else go hang. Hrrrmpf.
Sorry 'bout this, I'm just completely arsed off at leaving at 6.50pm, and getting home at 1.20am (including a couple of short pit stops.)
Aha! Meant to say something car-related. Tiv was fine the entire way, despite spending four hours in near stationary traffic. Temp maxed out at 90, so at least it wasn't cooking, even if I was! I was tempted to get out and take the roof off... Driver (clearly) dealt with the whole thing less well, developing severe bladder trauma somewhere in the wilds near Worcester. The staff at a little village restaurant were fab, though, and opened their doors to me so I could avert a medical emergency and buy a coke. That's despite having closed and hour and a half earlier... I'll post their details on here - they deserve a mention. Bless 'em.
>>> Edited by Marshy on Saturday 1st December 03:33
I live near Cambridge but am doing quite a lot of commuting to Cheltenham at the moment, involving A14/M6/M42/M5. Ghastly, but cross-crountry at a time that intersects with school runs is worse. Lots worse.
Anyway, had a bite to eat last night before leaving Chelters. Left at 6.50pm. M5 immediately ground to a halt... bugger. I knew there were roadworks ahead, so I thought that once through those, it'd clear up. Not so, unfortunately, and soon after there was another road works sign, followed by signs saying the outside two lanes were closed ahead. That'd do it, I thought, and stuck with it some more. I should mention that I'd managed to leave my road atlas at home, and since I thought the roadworks were the cause of things, I thought I'd just stay with it and save myself the cost of an atlas.
Some while later and getting desperate, I opted to phone a friend, who told me that the M5 was closed totally at the M50 junction due to an accident. Must have been a biggun, because I hit the queue at about 7pm, and didn't leave the motorway at the M50 until about 10pm. Yep, that's perhaps 20 miles in three hours. Took another hour to divert along the M50 and up the A38 to the arse end of Worcester to rejoin the M5.
Now, the fact that the M5 was closed due to accident is fair enough, though unfortunate. What I'd really like to know is this. Why the fsck did the police wait until the M50 to give **any** indication that the road was closed? And why the M50? It only goes sodding west. Muppetry at its worst. So the whole of the M5 north goes along the M50 (ok, ish), then off at the A38 through many small villages with windy roads completely unsuitable for trucks. We were doing maybe 10 mph most of the way - some 25 or so miles. Oh, and when we did get diverted off the M5, the coppers had the roundabout coned in such a way that you couldn't elect to turn around and take the M5 south for a junction in order to pick up an *eastbound* exit. FFS!
Better, and earlier, signing of the fact that the road was closed would have given everyone with a map a chance to dive off at the nearest junction and find another route, rather than merely assuming that the roadworks were responsible, and it'd probably clear up. It would have led to less pressure on the A38 around Worcester, with traffic distributing itself areound more local roads. Had I known early on that it was a smash, I'd have left the motorway and bought a map and been on my way. Instead, I got no traffic broadcasts, and didn't see a single police car until the M50 junction where we got diverted off.
Once again, this country leads the way in proving itself completely unable to deal with anything tricky and transport related. Sorry, we can't possibly think beyond the end of our nose and think about intelligent ways to deal with this crisis... we'll just do the minimum possible and let everyone else go hang. Hrrrmpf.
Sorry 'bout this, I'm just completely arsed off at leaving at 6.50pm, and getting home at 1.20am (including a couple of short pit stops.)
Aha! Meant to say something car-related. Tiv was fine the entire way, despite spending four hours in near stationary traffic. Temp maxed out at 90, so at least it wasn't cooking, even if I was! I was tempted to get out and take the roof off... Driver (clearly) dealt with the whole thing less well, developing severe bladder trauma somewhere in the wilds near Worcester. The staff at a little village restaurant were fab, though, and opened their doors to me so I could avert a medical emergency and buy a coke. That's despite having closed and hour and a half earlier... I'll post their details on here - they deserve a mention. Bless 'em.
>>> Edited by Marshy on Saturday 1st December 03:33
Marshy. I know a much nicer route that I used regularly when commuting to Bristol last year. A superb route in a TVR and only three speed cameras en route (two of them being close together.)
Take the A14,A45, M1 to Jnc 17 M45, A45 to Coventry (two speed cameras at Ryton)
Then A46 all the way to Bishops Cleeve. Then on the A435 in to Cheltenham. That way you get to go on the M45 which is the ONLY motorway in the country where you never see plod. (my speedo malfunctioned along there in the Cerbera once, leaping to 180 when I was only doing 70!!)
You also get to go on the best overtaking road in the country (the A46) which only has one camera!!
Try it one day and see what you think.
Edited by flasher on Saturday 1st December 10:37
Edited by flasher on Saturday 1st December 10:39
Take the A14,A45, M1 to Jnc 17 M45, A45 to Coventry (two speed cameras at Ryton)
Then A46 all the way to Bishops Cleeve. Then on the A435 in to Cheltenham. That way you get to go on the M45 which is the ONLY motorway in the country where you never see plod. (my speedo malfunctioned along there in the Cerbera once, leaping to 180 when I was only doing 70!!)
You also get to go on the best overtaking road in the country (the A46) which only has one camera!! Try it one day and see what you think.
Edited by flasher on Saturday 1st December 10:37
Edited by flasher on Saturday 1st December 10:39
Funny my speedo always seems to go wrong on the M45 too? 
Good route suggestion, I used to drive Cambridge to Coventry 4 times a week!! also Rarely find coppers on the A46 between Cov and Leamington spa, Might have something to do with Jaguar engineering at one end and Gaydon at the other! lost count of how many masked up jags and rovers overtook (at some speed too!!)me down there 
Good route suggestion, I used to drive Cambridge to Coventry 4 times a week!! also Rarely find coppers on the A46 between Cov and Leamington spa, Might have something to do with Jaguar engineering at one end and Gaydon at the other! lost count of how many masked up jags and rovers overtook (at some speed too!!)me down there Marshy, I've had similar experiences - I often drive from Reading to Manchester for the weekend. Couple of weeks ago I thought I'd book a half day and get up to Manchester in time to allow me to go out the Friday evening. Unfortunately the M4/A34/M40/M42/M5/M6 had other ideas...leaving at 13:00 I arrived in Manchester at 19:45 (it normally takes 2.5 hours)!!
Likewise my Griff was fine - I was completely knackered, heat exhaustion! Still went out in Manchester though
Graham
Edited by Graham B on Monday 3rd December 11:53
Likewise my Griff was fine - I was completely knackered, heat exhaustion! Still went out in Manchester though
Graham
Edited by Graham B on Monday 3rd December 11:53
Tried the route this morning... took me an hour *longer* than the Mways normally do, and after a short diversion around an accident, the miles are pretty similar too.
I think it all comes down to momentum. There were too many 30/40/50 limits, too many long queues behind artics and too many junctions clogged with traffic for it to be an effective "A to B in a hurry" sort of route for me.
Nice roads though, with nice views.
I think it all comes down to momentum. There were too many 30/40/50 limits, too many long queues behind artics and too many junctions clogged with traffic for it to be an effective "A to B in a hurry" sort of route for me.
Nice roads though, with nice views.
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