Roadworks in the UK

[MarkJ]

There's a main dual carriageway in/out of Sheffield that runs from the North to the centre of the city. Obviously this is a major route and carries a large amount of traffic.

Yorkshire water need to do some work on some pipes under the road, which runs all the way under one of the lanes. So they've closed off the entire lane for a good 400m, and dug some holes at either end. They did this at least a week ago, and haven't touched it since, causing absolute bedlam with the traffic.

Why does it feel that roadworks don't get sorted as quick as possible in the UK? Does anyone work for a company that does maintenance on public utilities that could shed some light? Are other countries as bad as us?

[fatpies]

[daemonoid]

[P.]

I've got some family that work on the roads, brothers etc.

The main "delay" is man power. Same with gritting in winter months. Highways are happy to pay, but as GhostRider always points out, people want to pay, there is a "recession" going on, but no one wants the work.

Some do work, shit hours too. Most work on motorways is typically done late afternoon/evening with overhead lights, keeps traffic interruption to a minimum.

Most highways work is contractor based, few civil engineering firms butted together, paid by highway services in your area.

For example, my brother worked for a highway agency, can't say who but he was basically contracted to do road repairs/barrier repairs. Basically highways maintenance. Got called on all hours, always did the work and provided for the family. Never kicked up a fussed and was killed on the job.

I know of others in the same firm, who will only do their 6 till 4, refuse overtime and won't do over night stuff. From what I saw when I worked with another brother doing admin for them, they definitely had more of the latter who just wanted the minimum hours, probably a fair 80/20 split.

But basically, man power is the killer.

[Rogerborg]

I understand that Germany bills the contractor for use of the road, by day and by yard metron. The quicker they get it finished, and the less they cone off, the less it costs them.

You could get on to the Council or Highways Agency (whomever is responsible for the road) and have a nag. Ask them where you send your bill for the unreasonable loss of use of the highway.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[J4mes]

When I was in Kenya last, the main road North out of Mombassa was being built like a drystone wall - individual playing-card sized piece of stone being placed in an interwoven line.

Then every so often a huge lorry runs in to the area and wrecks it.

Other countries are worse than us.

[keggyhander]

Well at least they've finally resurfaced Wooley Wood Bottom.

[MarkJ]

[angryjonny]

I've seen long-term roadworks in the Netherlands where they construct a temporary bridge/platform over the works. The traffic goes over it while the guys work under it. Speed is limited a bit but all lanes remain open. Awesome idea.

[Marmalade]

I thought part of the problem here was that one team would go out and fix a leak and then another team would show up when they feel like it to fill the hole.

As been said before, euro mainland countries seem to get it right, go out one day through some roadworks, come back the next day to find they've resurfaced 5 miles of 3 lane motorway.
____________________
Nobby the Bastard: How yo tell the difference between the actual japanese and her just screaming because she's had live fish stuck up her arse? [url=https://www.nicks-shop.co.uk/bcf-goodies-15-c.aspGet BCF stickers and things here[/url] Reflective helmet stickers - Legal requirement in france - Clicky

[kramdra]

This is similar to the work on my flat. Quite a large building, 130 tenants, of which each have 6 windows. They are replacing the windows with double glazing. The team doing it seems to be only 5 or 6 blokes. Its going to take a long time

First thing, they start to put up scaffolding a month ago. After about 1/4 was up, I thought they would replace the windows in that quater then move scaffolding to do the rest (its a fucking huge amount of scaffolding). This is how I would have done it.

No. They continued to scaffold the WHOLE building. This week all they have done is wrap a blue mesh screen around it. I.e we can no longer see out of windows.

Yesterday they told us they were jet washing, and we had to shut our windows. They wasted a day putting tape over every window to keep it shut then went home at 5pm, leaving it taped without washing my window They complain at me today for removing the tape and opening window. So over a month in, they have replaced no windows of 780.

My landlord has two cats. They smell. So its quite important I can have my window open

[damz]

when I lived over in Lanzarote they did roadworks so stupidly fast, one example was they built a roundabout almost overnight, was fun the next day seeing all the marks on the road from people locking their brakes as they didn't even know a roundabout was there, then some tire marks going over the roundabout.

They also have a habit of building big roads running paralleled to the old one so if there's traffic you can just jump onto the old road.

They also put all the pipes and utilities under the pavement so they dig that up to get to stuff instead of the road which makes a hell of a lot more sense.

as to the comments above, if it's manpower that's lacking why don't they hire more people? plenty of unemployed about
____________________
Current Bikes RVF400 - 94
Cars: RX7 FD, Eunos Roadster
Former Bikes: FZR 250R 89, ZX7R 98

[Polarbear]

[Rogerborg]

...because...

[Hetzer]

It's mostly caused by corrupt council officials giving the work to corrupt companies who have the manpower for about a quarter of the holes they dig up. Eg, they dig up four holes in quick succession (to earn the fee), then work on one at a time to save on standing man-power costs. It happens around here constantly. I might have kicked over and smashed the traffic-lights at the last couple that enraged me but I was probably dreaming after seeing somebody else had done it.

Same old same old, sub-human filth in govt/local govt filling their trousers with looted public money while causing massive problems for said public. But because it's so well hidden ignored the UK still scores very well on the international corruption index, when it should be right at the fucking top.
____________________
"There's the horizon! Ride hard, ride fast and cut down all who stand in your way!"

[fatpies]

[Timbo Foggins]

I'm not convinced it's lack of manpower, more like woefully inadequate budgeting and ridiculous penny pinching on top of that.

A lot of the road repairs round here, they just don't have the money to do a full resurface, so they chipseal (spreading tar and throwing gravel on it, you all know how nice that is to ride on) everything they can get away with, because it's cheaper. But then the next budget comes around, and they spent X amount on doing the piss poor surface treatment and the current goons in charge won't invest, so they get X again, only the roads are in a worse state than the previous year.

Rinse and repeat until every road is a shambolic gravel trap, then the big wigs offer the councils loans to resurface the essential roads. So next time round they won't even have the money to chip the road, because their budget will be eaten up by repayments.

Now with that out of the way, manpower problems?

I've just seen 2 highways vans and 4 guys "working" on the traffic lights on a pedestrian crossing. What are they doing? Well two of them are changing the bulbs to LEDs, the other two were sat on the wall nearby eating their butties and cheering them on, I guess.

[Rogerborg]

One of Mrs B's art history books has a picture of a 3,000 year old Greek amphora featuring one chap digging a hole and three or four standing around watching him.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Apparently at Lascaux there are some cave paintings that clearly show a contraflow system in operation.
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Rogerborg]

Homo habilis is well documented as using flint tools to fashion primitive rubber stamps saying "DENIED".
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[dudders7]

Count yourselves lucky in the UK, I have been touring Australia and 95% of the roads are partially shut due to roadworks! Takes forever to get anywhere. Had one set of roadworks where they had closed a whole bridge off and didn't finish the work that day so told everyone waiting to get through that they would have to stay in there cars till the morning! On one of the roads there was one of the big lit up displays telling you there were roadworks ahead then the next picture that comes up on the sign was of a road worker with a mug of coffee in one hand, cracked me up!
____________________
Riding in the sun in Australia on a 04 Worked ZX10R along with a fleet of other crazy toys

[doggone]

Locally there have been a couple of water leaks to do under or near the road.

The procedure is one company comes out, puts up traffic lights then random bollards and garish signs, plastic rails etc which get blown around or bumped not least because there's nothing behind to be avoided.

Couple of days later, someone appears with a mini-digger.
Digs hole in road to expose the leaking pipe.
He goes away, hole fills with water, several days pass...

Cones and battered signs blow around more and get tossed in hedge by first traffic of the day.
Traffic lights stop working and everyone manages better than before and cautiously weaves by rather than racing to beat the light change.

Yorkshire water come out, pump water out, fix leak in about an hour then sit in two vehicles at the site all day, reading papers and scratching each others bollocks (or something)
Leave at about 4pm.

Site left again for several days then someone comes out to fill the hole. Another truck comes out with a wheelbarrow full of tarmac.
Job done!
But.
Lights and have been fixed and left in place round imaginary obstruction for further two days before being picked up.
Total time: most of three weeks.

[mgh0]

My local council have just resurfaced the pavements, presumably to cover up the patchwork nature of previous repairs/work done by utilities.

They just spread tar and gravel which is already damaged from people using their driveways to cross it.
____________________
"Courage is not defined by those who fought and did not fall, it is defined by those who fell and rose to fight again." Adrienne Rich.

[Sload]

They are complete fuckers. They came to the area where I live and dug holes everywhere for installing the new eco streetlights. They dug a hole directly all across my driveway and I was given boards to cross about 2 thirds of it nearly trapping my car on it. It them took them over two weeks to do the bloody job, completed nonces.
____________________
Honda Varadero >> Triumph Speed Four >> Honda CBR1100xx

[Glen]