A12 rant

[johnalison]

For the last couple of months, on my roughly weekly journeys up the A12 to Ipswich & beyond, I have had to drive at 40mph all the way from Dedham, weekday or weekend. I wouldn't mind this, since I am never in a hurry as such, but for the whole time, I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYONE DOING ANY WORK. I suppose it is this scheme: http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/ipswich_...set_to_tear_up_a12_during_christmas_1_3809860 though there is no indication when if ever it will stop.

Thank you. I feel better now.

 

[toad]

Also the same between Brentwood and chelmsford

 

[Lucky Duck]

Sadly there is also a similar stretch of roadworks between Margaretting and the M25 junction which can be somewhat tedious.

Edit - too slow

 

[pvb]

The Ipswich stretch is ridiculous, around 8 miles of totally unreasonable 40mph limit, with no roadworks taking place, but loads of average speed cameras. It's just a cynical cash-generating exercise.

 

[Seashoreman]

Ah. I had to go through Woodbridge for work 3 times last week, they have dug up a crucial junction, never anybody there though.
Next job Wickham Market. They have stopped through traffic for a few days.
Will read your link later.

 

[Lucky Duck]

The Ipswich stretch is ridiculous, around 8 miles of totally unreasonable 40mph limit, with no roadworks taking place, but loads of average speed cameras. It's just a cynical cash-generating exercise.

Something else to be aware of is the more traditional speed trap set up just after the roadworks to try and catch people trying to recover lost time. Seen this a couple of times now.

 

[Tam Lin]

The A12 is a horrible road at the best of times! It should have been a motorway years ago given the amount of traffic it carries.

 

[Koeketiene]

The A12 is a horrible road at the best of times! It should have been a motorway years ago given the amount of traffic it carries.

+1

 

[sailorman]

+1

have you tried the A1M/A505/A45

 

[Oldgeezer]

Before I get to the A12 I use the M25
If its not clogged completely, this now has speed cameras and restrictions more often than not that have 50 and 40 then 'End'
with absolutely no sign of any problems on the motorway to cause such ridiculous limits.
But we crawl along to avoid a fine.

Some brain dead Highways Operative must decide to switch these signs on for no good reason.

Rant over - I feel better now - thankyou

 

[ex-Gladys]

Variable speed limits increase the vehicle capacity of a fixed stretch of road... Been like that between the M40 and M3 for years

 

[pvb]

Variable speed limits increase the vehicle capacity of a fixed stretch of road...

Only if they're intelligently applied.

 

[Koeketiene]

have you tried the A1M/A505/A45

We have.
It takes longer and it's not a shorter drive (distance).
Only go this way if I know the M25 has been turned into a carpark again.

 

[Steve Clayton]

Why the A12 has not been upgraded to a motorway - page 239

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=yes minister; m40&f=false

 

[Tomahawk]

The reason the A12 is overloaded is because there are no alternative roads.

A trip fron Essex to Kent involves the A12 and the Dartford hold ups.... Yet you can see Kent from the town centre of Maldon. It is 20 miles in a straight line.. yet 54 miles via the roads. The answer is to build an extra lane on the A12. This will of course involve accidents because they are building on a live road. People will be killed and at the end there will be no change the the road capability of the country.

 

[Burnham Bob]

The cones hot line successor is 08457 50 40 30 - the Highways Agency Information Line (HAIL). If enough of us ring it, it will get through to them that these cones are useless. Links as follows:

Info sheet on HAIL http://www.tih.org.uk/images/c/c3/g2_hail.pdf

Page where Highways Agency says it responds to information from HAIL https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/highways-agency-feedback-reports-and-surveys

Why don't we all ring it?

 

[Hydrozoan]

Thanks to all for the information - I don't do that journey as often in winter, so had noticed it only very recently. Has work (apart from the coning) actually started? And if not, as it was originally due to start in early December and finish at the end of February, may one assume that is it likely to continue until May at least?

 

[johnalison]

I saw one bloke and an unused digger sort of thing last Wednesday. On Sunday, of course, there was nothing happening.

 

[Hydrozoan]

There didn't seem to be very much happening last Friday either.

 

[pvb]

Or Thursday.