Road Numbers?
I was on the M25 yesterday heading for Cambridgeshire via A1 and the signs showed "A1 closed after A606" wracking my brain I couldn't think where the 606 was but then thought it could be the Grantham to Melton road or one of those from Grantham - but that is the 607. Is there any quick way to find these closed roads if you don't know already? I have tried to find the A606 both on map and internet - must be doing something wrong? But its not the first time these signs have worried me as I don't always know where the closures are. I couldn't stop on M25 obviously either.
PS just found the 606 Oakham area so luckily north of where I wanted to go.
Comments
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These signs should be useful but unless you have an encyclopedic knowledge of road numbers and instant recall they are no help at all . Even if you have a copolit and map handy as you say finding the road number isn't easy.
Sorry I don't know how to make it easier unless you can name towns either end if the road numbers.
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The numbering is not random, and if you know the system you can be fairly precise. It is loo long to explain all here, but the A1 goes north from London and the A2 etc also radiate out in a clockwise manner. up to A6. Then start again with A7 from Edinburgh
to A9.A road clockwise of the A1 will be the A1n (where n is a number), and so on around the country. So one can know right away that, for example, the A939 will be clockwise from the A9. And no, it is not closed at present.
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Thanks both - yes I did know how the system started - I am glad I am not alone in wondering - you might think those mway things could be a bit more specific.
Hopefully my Sat Nav warns me - but not always - today it flashed up an accident on the A1 in 19 miles but then said nothing else - the road was clear thank goodness I didn't relish going round by Bourne to get to Lincoln with the caravan.
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It took nearly 50 years to learn the Thelwall Viaduct was the section of the M6 that goes over the Mersey Ship Canal. Traffic reports always say 'Thelwall Viaduct', not the M6 and junction numbers which would be more useful if not a local yokel
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The motorway ring road around the north side of Manchester is part of the M60 and also part of the M62 at the same time. The junction numbers coincide and are correct, whichever motorway you are following, now that is very clever and must have taken some
careful planning.0 -
I travelled to various offices for several years and listened to traffic reports concerning places like the 'Port Pie island', the D Road', 'Frog Island', the "Kegworth turn off'. In time you get to know where are these places but for strangers passing through,
the information is of no use whatsoever. Being told the road junctions doesn't help. Where's the often blocked Junction 14 on the M6? [Stoke].I'm guessing satnavs are helpful if they are linked to traffic reports and have the capability to reroute you accordingly - don't tend to use one so can't be sure. If I have a passenger with me, I ask them to work out where we are on the road atlas I carry,
follow the road in the direction we are travelling, and see if they find the road or place mentioned. They can navigate me around it. Or, if I guess there will be a problem for me, pull over and check the map.The other thing I do is follow the route on the map before I go anywhere new so I have a mental picture of the roads. Far from perfect but in time it helps build a picture of the road network.
Of course, if you get a warning message from the highways people, its fair to assume it is likely to affect the direction in which you are travelling.
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I'm not sure about careful planning. The M62 was there long before they built the M60 they just changed that portion of the M62 to M60 and made the junction numbers fit in. I agree that just giving road numbers is very confusing. I was travelling to Newcastle
and signs warned that the A1 was closed after a particular road number, can't remember which one, warnings started about Wetherby but the road wasn't closed until way past Newcastle. I know that early warning is good but it did cause me some consternation
at the time.0 -
It took nearly 50 years to learn the Thelwall Viaduct was the section of the M6 that goes over the Mersey Ship Canal. Traffic reports always say 'Thelwall Viaduct', not the M6 and junction numbers which would be more useful if not a local yokel
Keefy, you are correct of course, but the Thelwall Viaduct is probably the most notorious traffic bottleneck in north West England (if not the whole wide world....
), and will be a term very well known sadly to the vast majority of drivers using it. I always breathe a sigh of relief if I cross it without delays. The rest of the journey, anywhere, will be a doddle in comparison!0 -
I'm not sure about careful planning. The M62 was there long before they built the M60 they just changed that portion of the M62 to M60 and made the junction numbers fit in. I agree that just giving road numbers is very confusing. I was travelling to Newcastle
and signs warned that the A1 was closed after a particular road number, can't remember which one, warnings started about Wetherby but the road wasn't closed until way past Newcastle. I know that early warning is good but it did cause me some consternation
at the time.Similar happened to us when travelling south on the A1. Being from the other side of the country I'm not familiar with road numbers in the East. We had a warnig from before Doncaster for a blockage which turned out to be well south of the Clumber junction
which we were heading for, but it really gave us concern at the time.0 -
We have the same problem with road numbers. It would help if they put the name of where the road goes on as well. We do have an old road atlas in the car so my wife will look them up when they appear to see if we have a problem. It can be a problem if you
are solo though.0 -
I totaly agree, I don't like the DOT system simply telling you the road number near where the problem is, better to say X miles ahead, at least it gives you a clue.
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'Delays after junction 'n' ' tells you little unless you either have an atlas or an encyclopaedic knowledge of UK motorway junctions. I must say that GoogleMaps on my phone changes the road colour depending on the traffic conditions. It's almost akin to black magic.
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