Are Road Construction Projects Causing More Harm Than Good?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the experiences and frustrations related to road construction and traffic management in various regions, particularly focusing on the UK and New Jersey. Participants share anecdotes about confusing road layouts, signposting issues, and the impact of construction on driving experiences.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express dissatisfaction with the signposting and layout of services on the A50, particularly regarding the location of facilities.
  • Others compare their experiences with road systems in New Jersey, noting the unique traffic management strategies such as jug handles and right lane exits.
  • A participant mentions the challenges of navigating left-hand exits and merges in other states, contrasting them with New Jersey's system.
  • There are discussions about the perceived inefficiencies of midwestern highways, with some participants criticizing their design and suggesting they lack adequate safety measures.
  • Concerns are raised about the impact of ongoing construction on traffic flow and safety, particularly in states like Wyoming.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share frustrations about road construction and traffic management, but there are competing views on the effectiveness of different road systems and designs. The discussion remains unresolved regarding which systems are superior or more efficient.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific regional practices and personal experiences, indicating a variety of assumptions about road design and traffic management that may not be universally applicable.

brewnog
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Anyone visited the Derby Eastbound services on the A50 lately?

I was disgusted at the poor signposting to the car park, and the confusing location of the gents' toilets (sandwiched between the Little Chef and the Burger King).

Does nobody share my anguish?
 
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brewnog said:
Anyone visited the Derby Eastbound services on the A50 lately?
That's specifically why I avoid the UK. :biggrin:

brewnog said:
I was disgusted at the poor signposting to the car park, and the confusing location of the gents' toilets (sandwiched between the Little Chef and the Burger King).
Sounds like the turnpikes in northern New Jersey (near NY City). :biggrin: In some places, one must go right to go left.

brewnog said:
Does nobody share my anguish?
I share your pain. :cry: What's the world coming to?
 
Im afraid i try not to venture too far north of winchester.
 
That's very generous of you, sticking to your side of the border.

Hadrian had the right idea...
 
It starts to smell funny that far up north.
 
Astronuc said:
Sounds like the turnpikes in northern New Jersey (near NY City). :biggrin: In some places, one must go right to go left.

Hey! You have to go right to go left in all places in NJ. It's actually one of the things they've gotten right with the roads. It was a great shock to me when I left NJ and discovered you have to guess in advance which lane your exit will be in (how would you know if it's supposed to be a right or left if you've never been there before?) In NJ, if your exit is coming up, you get to the right lane. It does help ease up congestion because all the traffic merging on and off is in the right lane and through traffic can stay to the left.
 
I missed my exit on the NJ turnpike once and ended up in Norway.
 
Moonbear said:
In NJ, if your exit is coming up, you get to the right lane. It does help ease up congestion because all the traffic merging on and off is in the right lane and through traffic can stay to the left.


I thought this was the standard throughout the country.

I've only seen maybe five exits that were on the left ever, and none of them were on interstates. I've driven and ridden across a good 8, 000 distinct miles of freeways and highways.
 
Parsippiny NJ has a lot of Jug handle intersections which take some getting used to, that is the only place I have ever encountered them. It that what you mean by getting in the right lane to turn left?
 
  • #10
Integral said:
Parsippiny NJ has a lot of Jug handle intersections which take some getting used to, that is the only place I have ever encountered them. It that what you mean by getting in the right lane to turn left?

Yep.

franz, I think CA had the idea before NJ did. My understanding is that's where NJ got the idea to adopt it from. Out here in between the two coasts, there are a lot of left-hand exits. Actually, the really fun one I encounter every so often is a left-hand merge onto an interstate to cross a bridge into KY, with a right-hand exit I need to take just on the other side of the bridge...getting across 4 lanes of traffic with people merging in from every direction and not paying any attention to the other drivers is quite an adventure (that's when I'm glad I learned to drive in NJ).

Jughandles are a huge improvement over things like left-turn lanes. There are just too many cars on the roads in NJ to ever be able to make a left turn safely, and the jughandles get the cars off the highway while they are waiting for a light to assist them. The jughandles also handle the U-turn traffic. Most highways are divided highways (safety barriers became necessary), and limiting the number of places you could turn left means you often need to pass what you're trying to get to and make a U-turn onto the other side of the highway to get to what you want to get to. It sounds inconvenient and strange to those here in the midwest who are used to having left turn lanes everywhere and no dividers on roads, but it's impossible to turn left across a 3 or 4 lane highway if there is no traffic signal to ever stop the heavy traffic (nobody is going to stop there to let you across).
 
  • #11
Moonbear said:
franz, I think CA had the idea before NJ did. My understanding is that's where NJ got the idea to adopt it from. Out here in between the two coasts, there are a lot of left-hand exits.

Really? I've driven as far east as Iowa and Minnesota, but the only place I've ever seen them was one a freeway in ventura county (i think that's where it was. i know it wasn't an interstate)

\t sounds inconvenient and strange to those here in the midwest who are used to having left turn lanes everywhere and no dividers on roads

I hate midwest highways so much. Two lane interstates are just not my idea of good civil engineerings.
 
  • #12
franznietzsche said:
I hate midwest highways so much. Two lane interstates are just not my idea of good civil engineerings.

Why? There's no need for any more lanes when there are only 2 cars on them at a time. Of course, those two lane interstates could be even better, if you're willing to drive on them while one lane is closed off for the next 20 years while they expand the highway. :biggrin:
 
  • #13
Moonbear said:
Why? There's no need for any more lanes when there are only 2 cars on them at a time. Of course, those two lane interstates could be even better, if you're willing to drive on them while one lane is closed off for the next 20 years while they expand the highway. :biggrin:


Because when I'm driving 80, and the oncomoing is driving 80, there should be a k-rail in between. Its simple safety.

And yeah, driving through wyoming in the summer, half the interstate is closed for construction and repair for the 3 months they can do anything, and you've got 50 mile detours.