Quote:
Originally Posted by Stanner
So why are you suffering congestion, if the road is doing what it is supposed to do?
(ex-Oxfordshire C.C. traffic engineer - many years ago.)
I suspect that the reasons there is so much congestion is more to do with the vast number of newhousing estates, offices, industrial and trading estates built locally as well as an overall increase in lorries going to and from the docks. The Newbury bypass- from the M4/A34 junction at Chievely southbound, usually runs reasonably freely. Many of the lorries going south from the M40 leave at this junction to go along the M4. The congestion after the M4 junction used to be caused by traffic having to go through Newbury. Not having to do that is a vast improvement but that, for us north of this area, was not usually a problem.
We also have several significant hills - the Ridgeway for example- between Oxford and Chievely and this slows lorries particularly, causing tailbacks and accidents as cars try to overtake. There was an experimental area where they confined lorries to the inside lane but this seems to have disappeared recently so we must assume it did not work.
Did you have anything to do with the 50 mph on the stretch through
Botley ? That seems to be more honoured in the breech but it would be interesting to know if the speed limit plus acoustic banks has had any effect on the quality of life for people alongside the road.
It's flowing freely at the moment ...or was 10 minutes ago !
G