Waste Of Tarmac

[MantaRay]

Why are there huge areas of roadway created [typically at junctions and intersections] and then declared no-go zones by cross-hatching and unbroken white lines? Additionally, there seems to be a trend to reduce well established dual carriageways into single file traffic, yet the tarmac still gets resurfaced purely for application of fresh white paint. A heck of a lot of money is being wasted somewhere.

[Old_Geezer]

Because councils have limited imagination on how to waste the excess tax they have demanded and so continue their favourite pastime of annoying motorists.

[ToraToraTora]

care to give us an example of what you mean, on google maps perhaps?

[MantaRay]

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.2809378,-0.3266787,3a,75y,172.07h,77.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sK7wUDHjKgysusu0ChV4ZXw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

This sort of thing...it goes on for miles!

[bhg481]

It looks like the road was laid as a dual carriageway and then 3ft marked off for cyclists. Cross hatchings used as a means to keep motor vehicles well away from the cyclists (and give cyclists room to overtake ech other). The alternative is o spend a small fortune making the road narrower again and then further fortunes cutting the grass etc.

[Old_Geezer]

Or, in that specific example, they could have just left it as it was and discouraged thrill seekers from risking their lives by going out into traffic on flimsy unprotected pedal powered contrivances. That'd been cost free.

[Hypognosis]

@MantaRay

That's a one-and-a-half lane road. Is it a one-way?

The hatching stops traffic attempting to split into two lanes, which would snarl up at the next pinch point.

Notionally stops motorcycles overtaking but probably won't.

Is there a cycle lane, inboard of the hatching?

In terms of lost soakaway, that excess tarmac is a problem but digging it away would destroy the seal of the road surface and affect drainage. Restructuring road foundations/camber (I've forgotten the technical term) is probably not in their remit.

[bhg481]

Roundabouts on dual carriageways are another favourite place for the cross-hatching treatment. Some motorists will insist on taking the shortest line through, regardless of whether anyone is on the outside of them, so cause an acccident. Reducing the dual carriageway to one lane, using cross-hatchings, helps prevent this.

[MantaRay]

Hypo, it was dual carriageway...but de-rated.

[Dodger666]

We used to have a local two lane dual carriageway on the main A452. A couple of years ago, the local authority in it's "wisdom" decided to close the inside lane on both sides and turn it into a cycle path with bollards down the middle to separate cycles from traffic. What was once a 15 minute journey to work is now a 30 minute trip for my daughter. Luckily I don't use the road too often but on all the occasions I have been down it, never in the rush hour, I have only ever seen one cyclist and he was cycling on the side for vehicles. I agree. a heck of a lot of money is being wasted.

[CrapAtCryptics]

Judging by the way they use them with impunity I always thought the were motorcyclist lanes.