Stafford Traffic.

MilleD

Well-Known Forumite
Google shows the M6 nothbound between 14 and 16 is closed until Jan 4th 2020 :bravo:

Drove back from South Wales on Friday night. Last 8 miles took an hour due to for some bizarre reason, the northbound carriageway before J13 down to one lane. I think for cone storage, then back to two with no work in between. And morons flying down the outside ignoring the (too early obviously) signs.

Waze said the motorway was closed, but it wasn't. But the on slip northbound J13 was definitely closed.

No idea what they are up to - is the slip just closed at night?
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
It was closed to get off northbound at J13 last week when I came home late at night. (Well..that's what the signs just before J12 said. They were holding the traffic further southbound between 12 and 11 as well as I drove down , coning that off . So southbound around that area must be closed as well ) As I passed J13 after diverting through Penkridge, northbound slip was closed . The southbound entry slip at J12 was closed in the early hours of monday morning as well, as I headed for the airport. Couldn't see a reason for that either.....

Signs all down the southbound from 16-14 on Sunday mid morning were saying J14 southbound slip was closed , but looked like we could have got down it . Couldn't see as far as the island at the bottom though, so didn't risk it.

Was saying the northbound M6 14-16 and beyond was closed on all sites on Saturday. AA had dotted red lines with message saying everyone else saying it's closed, but from the cameras it looked open to them.....sure was open and nice and light traffic with everyone else avoiding it .

Seem to be just closing , or saying closed, willy nilly for no reason most of the time (or maybe just to store their work vehicles)

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the M5 works were going to be all done and dusted by the end of November......... still looked a long way off as I came through it last week . Maybe they meant next November :roll:
 

c0tt0nt0p

Well-Known Forumite
I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the M5 works were going to be all done and dusted by the end of November......... still looked a long way off as I came through it last week . Maybe they meant next November :roll:

M5 Southbound is done the cones just need to come off and everything can get back to normal
M5 Northbound just need final sections surfaced then it will be done as well...

Long time coming but don't get too comfy as they will likely start on the M6J10 remodelling soon !
 

PeterD

ST16 Represent.
M5 although will be "finished" soon, it will go on for quite some time as there is gantries and testing of gantries, as well as other tidying up jobs. I contacted Highways England and got a response from the contractors, they dressed it up but new year, but even since that email driving through it a few times, there is a bit more delay.

"Thank you for your call to the Highways England Customer Contact Centre on 21 November 2019 with regards to the Oldbury Viaduct Major Renewal Scheme. Your enquiry has been passed to me at BMV, the contractors carrying out the scheme for Highways England.


In response to your question, please see the below issued on Friday.


“We’ve completed all concrete and waterproofing repairs on the southbound carriageway at M5 junction 1-2. We will start removing roadworks on this side of the viaduct from 25 November, ahead of reopening with three lanes of traffic by mid-December. Once removed, we will also increase the speed limit on the southbound carriageway to 50mph and remove the measures that have been in place to manage traffic at M6 junction 8.


We were hoping to complete the work on both sides of the viaduct by the end of November. As you are aware we have experienced heavy rainfall in recent months and this has impacted our progress, such that we haven’t been able to complete this as quickly as we had hoped.


We’re working hard to complete the remaining waterproofing on the northbound carriageway alongside the central reservation and new concrete barrier that we’ve installed. Once that work is complete, we’ll then start to remove the remaining roadworks on the northbound carriageway ahead of fully re-opening three lanes of traffic before Christmas.


The waterproofing is a critical part of the repair work and is a weather-dependant activity. We appreciate that roadworks are frustrating and we’re reviewing our work programme on a daily basis. We need the concrete surface to be completely dry to put the waterproofing material down for it to work effectively. As concrete is a porous material this can take several hours following a prolonged period of rain. We have specialist teams on standby to make sure that we can work quicker and more effectively during prolonged gaps in the rain to complete the remainder of the work as safely and quickly as we can.


A temporary speed limit of 50mph will need to remain in place on both sides of the carriageway between junctions 1 and 2 once all of the roadworks have been removed for technology testing to take place. This will be completed in the new year.”
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
We were hoping to complete the work on both sides of the viaduct by the end of November. As you are aware we have experienced heavy rainfall in recent months and this has impacted our progress, such that we haven’t been able to complete this as quickly as we had hoped.


We’re working hard to complete the remaining waterproofing on the northbound carriageway alongside the central reservation and new concrete barrier that we’ve installed. Once that work is complete, we’ll then start to remove the remaining roadworks on the northbound carriageway ahead of fully re-opening three lanes of traffic before Christmas.


The waterproofing is a critical part of the repair work and is a weather-dependant activity.

So .. son might get a clear run up through that part at midnight when he comes back 23rd/24th........ or maybe not ....it's raining again.

Long time coming but don't get too comfy as they will likely start on the M6J10 remodelling soon !

Didn't they do that stretch a year or so ago when they made it a 4 lane smart motorway??? Seem to remember quite often sitting for hours there as well .
 

c0tt0nt0p

Well-Known Forumite
Aaaah thanks for that (they were in the process of coning the northbound carriageways at J10 when I came back monday last week. Down to one lane when I crawled through. )
Its been open fully when I've used it commuting this week, but it will be started on at some point
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
Its been open fully when I've used it commuting this week, but it will be started on at some point
They tend to start closing the carriageways off 9pm and after . Was after 10pm last week. Learnt now when gantry signs warn of ' reduce speed, workforce in road' , that it's the men about to close it off and like everyone else stick my foot down to try to get through before that final blocking off cone goes down....Nearly gone over a few toes over the years :D
 

BobClay

Well-Known Forumite
I'm under orders so I'm driving up to sunny Stourbridge on Christmas Eve. Usual plan, set out at 4am should get there by about 7am ish (before the bloody madness starts.)
But I'm always aware of the 'best laid plans....' Burns quote. ( 'Shit happens' is an alternative version.)
 
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