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View Full Version : Most awkward roads/layouts/intersections in your area?



Col
05-02-11, 10:17
I'm not entirely sure what made me think of this topic because the road layouts in Norfolk aren't actually all that bad. Most of the time they're easy to negotiate, except for the fact that drivers here have yet to understand the function of the indicators. Most people here don't even know that indicators exist by the looks of things.

So lets see the local roads/layouts/intersections which you really hate.

As I said, Norfolk's road layouts aren't actually all that bad, but the worst places are:

Heartsease roundabout, which is far too small for five exits:
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.637222,1.328649&spn=0.002168,0.013937&z=17&layer=c&cbll=52.637222,1.328649&panoid=e-CyOyTdkAOpZyjB1WgISA&cbp=11,229.45,,0,15.74

Bottoms Up roundabout, named because there was once a shop called Bottoms Up in the middle which has now closed. You can see from the map view that it is a big roundabout, but from street view you can see that it doesn't really look like a roundabout and confuses a lot of people on how to negotiate the road and work out which direction to go:
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.656628,1.277246&spn=0.004334,0.027874&z=16&layer=c&cbll=52.656638,1.277231&panoid=VaK-tNYMY6GFQ71qvpw0Yg&cbp=11,300.41,,0,9.71

The so-called "Honda roundabout" because there is a Honda dealer near it. I don't actually know the real name of this roundabout if it has one. People don't like this roundabout because it's difficult to tell the intentions of the other cars, due to the fact that you can turn right in the left lane. As a general rule, I always use the right lane to turn right and the left lane to turn left. If you're going straight on, read the road markings.
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.634834,1.287632&spn=0.004336,0.027874&z=16&layer=c&cbll=52.634823,1.287663&panoid=xNJrkQu_EQYLqGSjwyQw0g&cbp=11,345.28,,0,4.65

Prince of Wales Road. At the junction of Upper King Street, the lights allow two flows of traffic onto POW Road, and they have to merge here, which is always a pain because people like to be ahead by one vehicle in a line of slow moving traffic so you won't get any further anyway. A little bit further down POW Road there are also junctions leading to the right but people don't see to understand signage and have a tendency to suddenly move out to the left when they realise they don't want to turn right.
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.629442,1.299123&spn=0.002169,0.013937&z=17&layer=c&cbll=52.629437,1.299138&panoid=C0PlEeAZ-W_tSb_qzH6qbg&cbp=11,95.55,,0,10.4

Along this road you get an awful lot of veering left and right and people think "OMG! Which lane?! Three lanes to choose from! OMG!"
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.628296,1.297631&spn=0.002169,0.013937&z=17&layer=c&cbll=52.628295,1.297648&panoid=aax9ZoH9f9ZyaKbltnUr-Q&cbp=11,352.45,,0,12.53

People also don't seem to understand that this is a crossroad, so fail to indicate when turning right:
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.641449,1.296612&spn=0.002168,0.013937&z=17&layer=c&cbll=52.64145,1.296624&panoid=Yj0fk8AymmMemYw_bgw5YQ&cbp=11,161.26,,0,6.42

There is also a STOP sign somewhere, but I couldn't find it. It's believed that it was once placed there by n ancient race, and its meaning has yet to be deciphered.

Spaceboy
05-02-11, 10:45
Round here in Leicester they fail to understand the point let alone the importance of Yellow Box Junctions :rolleyes:
Typical example of this is this junction which fairly often leads to gridlock ;)
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=52.644024,-1.149115&spn=0.001069,0.001891&t=h&z=19&lci=com.panoramio.all

"Pork Pie" roundabout is a small roundabout with 6 exits, on a dual-carriageway... always good fun :thumb:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.596898,-1.141532&spn=0.00107,0.001891&t=k&z=19

I think they're the 2 worst in this area...

Of particular note in the wider UK are

My favourite junction - speaking as a biker... they say to bring a spare left knee slider ;)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=redditch&aq=&sll=52.642022,-1.130219&sspn=0.13687,0.242043&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Redditch,+Hereford+and+Worcester,+United+Kin gdom&ll=52.290659,-1.935085&spn=0.004285,0.007564&t=k&z=17

and of course there's always the INSANE "magic roundabout" in Swindon :D
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Magic+Roundabout,+Swindon,+United+Kingdom&aq=0&sll=51.560478,-1.794248&sspn=0.017422,0.030255&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=The+Magic+Roundabout,+Swindon+SN1+2,+United+ Kingdom&ll=51.56285,-1.771465&spn=0.001089,0.001891&t=k&z=19

GentleGiant
05-02-11, 10:50
Malvern is full of nasty junctions; where turning in one direction means a 140-170 degree turn across the road, sometimes having to stop, reverse, and manoeuvre to get around them.
Several of these junctions are also "blind" in one or both directions, the worst (in my opinion), being the busy junctions of the Wyche Road with the Wells Road; there was a fatal crash on this road junction only last week

Mokey
05-02-11, 11:08
Looks like the streetview van had a go then gave up...

http://i53.tinypic.com/s3gco8.jpg

:chairfall:

Faz
05-02-11, 12:21
LOL... that is so confusing!!!!!!!!

NickCPC
05-02-11, 12:28
I've got a bad one near me, nicknamed the "Magic Roundabout" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_%28Colchester%29

http://i55.tinypic.com/i50jkg.png

To be honest, Colchester's traffic system is just a farce though.

Smifis
05-02-11, 15:10
I've got a bad one near me, nicknamed the "Magic Roundabout" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_%28Colchester%29

http://i55.tinypic.com/i50jkg.png

To be honest, Colchester's traffic system is just a farce though.
That just looks horrible.

I3R0K3N7FEET
05-02-11, 19:35
what were they thinking!!?

'we'll put one round about here.....'

KarlHungus
05-02-11, 20:22
Theres a mini roundabout right at the end of my mums cul-de-sac and theres been lots of accidents there because its somewhat blind and on a busy main road.

Finners
05-02-11, 22:56
this looks worse than it is becuase all the cars seem to be pointing at each other

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=port+solent+&aq=&sll=52.641449,1.296612&sspn=0.005019,0.016512&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Port+Solent,+Portsmouth,+United+Kingdom&ll=50.846006,-1.087891&spn=0.000293,0.002064&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=50.846006,-1.087891&panoid=oUosz8R8V2XOnVt5_VNzpw&cbp=11,260.65,,0,14.18

alexnifty
08-02-11, 17:18
Those magic roundabouts look fun! Who's idea was it to put a roundabout in a roundabout so you can go round a roundabout while you roundabout? :p

Bodster
11-02-11, 11:14
Not so much one area but my town is just roundabout city! Really confusing for people who don't come here often :)

Map Here (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=&daddr=&hl=en&geocode=&mra=mr&doflg=ptm&sll=56.190613,-3.215561&sspn=0.040309,0.132093&ie=UTF8&ll=56.190231,-3.174276&spn=0.040309,0.132093&t=h&z=14)

Aaron
11-02-11, 12:22
Those magic roundabouts look fun! Who's idea was it to put a roundabout in a roundabout so you can go round a roundabout while you roundabout? :p
Yeah, it also means that its possible to go the wrong way round the big main roundabout in the middle :lol: :lol:

M4T VW
12-02-11, 08:49
Bristol has some terrible junctions. I will dig a few out later.

Col
12-02-11, 09:51
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.630601,1.358807&spn=0.009599,0.027874&z=16&layer=c&cbll=52.630556,1.358998&panoid=gafdsOhSDf7drEiHFZ8lQQ&cbp=12,149.55,,0,12.48

This junction isn't the worst in the world, but when you're coming from the opposite direction down that sliproad, you need to have a very flexible neck to see if the lights are letting the Sainsbury's traffic through.

PMM
12-02-11, 11:28
"Pork Pie" roundabout is a small roundabout with 6 exits, on a dual-carriageway... always good fun :thumb:


Don't know how people can mess that one up, I use that one when going to my sisters which is not that often.

I have to admit though not a keen fan of driving in Leicester.

Spaceboy
12-02-11, 11:31
Don't know how people can mess that one up, I use that one when going to my sisters which is not that often.

I have to admit though not a keen fan of driving in Leicester.

They did a lot of work to it a couple of years ago, putting traffic lights and proper road markings (and I think they made it wider too)... before that it was somewhat "interesting" :D

Aaron
12-02-11, 17:50
The coventry ring road has some interesting moments if you're not used to it.. mainly the slip roads.. anyone who has driven on it will know what I mean!

Aaron
14-02-11, 00:36
Yup I've driven on that... The slip roads (on/off ramps) are too close together..
When you say close together, you mean "they are the exact same bit of tarmac..." :lol: :lol: Thats where the fun starts!

And yeah, when I lived in Coventry, you basically took the view that you concentrated on not hitting the person infront of you, and everyone else behind you should be doing the same.. It actually worked, mostly.. :lol: