Are we deliberatly keeping away from this (news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/4119961.stm ) story, lest it becomes another police bashing thread?
I honestly don't believe all the people phoning into radio programs and news stations to say that there were no warnings of the closure, no diversions, no one in authority moving up and down the queues to inform people, and no provision of provisions, except by the St Johns Ambulance.
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I think that most of the points about accidents closing roads for long periods have been made in this thread:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=20...1
It is the view(misguided in my opinion) of some contributors to the Backroom that it is unseemly to discuss any accident that involves fatalities.
I cannot think of another country where such a major route would still be closed some 28 hours(and counting) after an accident.
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>>I cannot think of another country where such a major route would still be closed some 28 hours(and counting) after an accident.>>
The reason was due to the fact that this stretch of the A74 only has two lanes and no hard shoulder - the sheer volume of traffic trapped meant that emergency services faced considerable difficulties gaining access.
Apparently police officers have been walking along 15 miles of trapped vehicles keeping people informed and providing hot food and drinks.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Oops, advised a colleague yesterday that M6/M74 was much the best route to Scotland. Did however point out the danger of this one short non motorway section. Why on earth was it not upgraded at the same time as the A74 north of the border?.
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It was reported on Radio 5 Live last night that there was a problem with the load that one of the lorries was carrying. It was some form of paint powder, which had been scattered everywhere, and was causing breathing difficulties for the emergency crews. Combined with the problems of gaining access, it is perhaps understandable that there has been a huge delay in re-opening the road.
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It was reported on Radio 5 Live last night that there was a problem with the load that one of the lorries was carrying. It was some form of paint powder, which had been scattered everywhere, and was causing breathing difficulties for the emergency crews. Combined with the problems of gaining access, it is perhaps understandable that there has been a huge delay in re-opening the road.
A Radio 5 Live report this morning said that a lorry had been carrying a powder that, if it HAD leaked, had the potential to cause breathing problems if there was prolonged exposure to the substance. - a different slant to that report.
There were numerous complaints from motorists caught up in the delays stating there was no prior warning for those heading South and no information after they got stuck in the jam.
I drove from London to Shropshire yesterday morning and there was a warning on the signs near London and Radio 5 carried repeated reports about the lengthy delays and advising motorists to use the East coast route to Scotland.
Early this morning I drove to Manchester Airport and back(by way of M56) and I saw no signs at M6 junction - or anywhere else - advising that the A74 was still closed. The signs did advise me not to 'drink and drive' though.
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"The signs did advise me not to 'drink and drive' though."
At which point you pulled-over, got out of the car and slept it off on the M-way embankment.....
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Radio Two has also carried extensive reports.
However, re the M56 not having any warnings, firstly it runs west to east or east to west as you wish and, secondly, even if you were going north on the M6 it must be at least 130 miles to the accident concerned.
I would have thought warnings would be given on the M6 somewhat nearer the scene of the accident and the resulting holdups to enable motorists to take an alternative route.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Radio Two has also carried extensive reports. However, re the M56 not having any warnings, firstly it runs west to east or east to west as you wish and, secondly, even if you were going north on the M6 it must be at least 130 miles to the accident concerned. I would have thought warnings would be given on the M6 somewhat nearer the scene of the accident and the resulting holdups to enable motorists to take an alternative route. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
Stuartli,
My point was that the M56 crosses the M6 and from either direction(i.e heading East or West) there was no warning to Northbound traffic at the junction. Whilst agreed it is a long way from the scene of the accident, London had signs and is some 200 miles further away.
Given that the advice was to enter Scotland from the East coast routes, I would have thought the further south the warnings - the better. Staying on the M56 and/or using the M62 would be an obvious way to cross the country.
C
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M1 j29/30 currently closed northbound due to an accident - the highways agency website shows the matrix signs are warning of this as far south as Northampton (J16?) and then regular intervals all the way up - maybe they were reading the back room comments and taking note.
Dan
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>>Staying on the M56 and/or using the M62 would be an obvious way to cross the country.>>
No, it would be better to keep north on the M6 and join the A1 via the A685/A66/A67 or, even better if access to the A7 was still available, via that marvellous driver's road and the A72 to join the M74 higher up.
Mind you I join the M6 at junction 26 from the M58, Leyland (junction 28) or Preston (junction 31) depending on where I'm going, but the advice would still be the same.
Incidentally, anyone travelling east on the M62 and joining the A1 to go north will find it quicker coming off at junction 30 and going through Garforth - shortest side of the triangle...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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>>Staying on the M56 and/or using the M62 would be an obvious way to cross the country.>> No, it would be better to keep north on the M6 and join the A1 via the A685/A66/A67
Unless lots of other drives did the same.
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Yes, but I did point out the junctions where I join the M6 which obviously plays a crucial part in any decision...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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What's more, even if lots of other drivers did the same, at least you are likely to be moving, which was not the case for so many following the unfortunate A74 tragedy.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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The M60 signs were this morning warning about an accident on the A1 at J47, and that must be over 100 miles away, so no idea why there were no warnings about the A74 accident on the M6
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The M60 signs were this morning warning about an accident on the A1 at J47, and that must be over 100 miles away, so no idea why there were no warnings about the A74 accident on the M6. Infact, I've even seen signs on the M6 before warning of A1 accidents.
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