Roads being resurfaced by just throwing some loose gravel on them. I don't know why they can't resurface the roads properly instead of relying on all the cars to bed in the new road surface (if it can even be called a road surface). I think I'll be taking a longer route to avoid those roads for a while, just so all the loose stones don't rip my wheel arches to shreds

I hate it when you hit such a road that suggests 30 miles per hour, then with the family in the car, you do 40 In the 60 zone but 40 on a loose Road is just not good enough and the jacksies behind you still drive up your bumper pushing you to 50 or more.

I kept it 40 just to peeve him off, I didn't have the patience for the advised 30 lol

This one had signs suggesting 20 mph, but I hit it at nearly 40 in the outside lane with fresh gravel, heard the sound of a thousand stones hitting the underside of the car. So quickly dropped to about 30 and got back in the other lane where it wasn't so bad. They did another road in the same way when my car was practically new, and I just stuck to the suggested 20 mph not wanting to damage the car. I'm not going to let anyone force me to break the speed limit whether temporary or not, just because they don't care about causing damage to their car or others. It's even worse when people come speeding in the opposite direction, flinging stones into your front bumper.

Surface dressing... that's the surfacing type you're referring to. The action of driving over the chippings is part of the process of finishing off the job.

http://www.highwaysmaintenance.com/SDtext.htm#10:%20ROLLING,%20ACTION%20OF%20TRAFFIC

^ Yeah I can sort of understand why they do it like this, but why don't they just resurface the road properly with nice smooth tarmac? Is that a lot more expensive?

Things I don't like .....

When my other half gets up at 6am and wakes me up on purpose like a have to get up! A take her to work but a don't have to get up till at least 7.40am ......hmmmmm

when the work toilet roll holder is so stiff you only get to pull of one sheet at a time.

Took a while but sorted now.

Haha Matt! Been there a million times

The M60's upgrade to a 'smart' motorway.

The Highways Agency have really excelled themselves with this monumental screw up.

All of the work is being carried out at night time, with junction closures (which are bad enough), but for some reason a 50 MPH speed restriction backed up by average speed cameras is being enforced and the lanes have be drastically narrowed. To me, it seems utter pointless to do this when they could work on it junction to junction and minimise disruption.

The speed restriction means that all traffic is travelling at the same 50mph speed, which buggers up with the flow of traffic and leads to people having to bully their way across 4 lanes of traffic. Today, the junction from the M61 onto the M60 was backed up for 3 miles.

I think the Highways Agency should consider what they call a "smart" motorway.

^ I share your frustration, or did until part of the M62 was finally cleared of roadworks after over a year. It didn't even seem like they had changed anything lol.

I think the reason they keep the 50 speed limit when nobody's working is because accidents would cause more problems, with the emergency services having less access. Still annoying though.

What does my nut is the idea that workmen don't just get on and finish a job it's not their fault. Why can these companies not accept that working 24/7 gets a job done sooner, the impact is less as the jobs done sooner, it impacts the public less and makes the emergency services lives easier as there is less time with this environment reducing the risk of accidents etc and when the motorway is open they could easily getting emergencies.

They can resurface an airport runway overnight but they can't get stupid roadworks done in a month!

^ I share your frustration, or did until part of the M62 was finally cleared of roadworks after over a year. It didn't even seem like they had changed anything lol.

I think the reason they keep the 50 speed limit when nobody's working is because accidents would cause more problems, with the emergency services having less access. Still annoying though.

Another two years this'll go on for.

I can see the point about accidents. However, because the flow of traffic is completed shagged, people are ducking and diving in and out of lanes. I've witnessed dozens of near misses and numerous bumps.

Come down here for the M3 expansion, it'll be a 2-3 year job. they should work 24/7 though, they do in the US, they employ so many people to cover the works,

Here's a thought PM Cameron, get young people working, rather than hand them cash for nothing, make them train as apprentices and make them get out in the rain and mud and sort the roads out and earn their keep, double the workforce at minimum wage, brilliant, better than hiring the Easternblock who fail to return home.

Think I should run the UK at times.

They can resurface an airport runway overnight but they can't get stupid roadworks done in a month!

Exactly.

If it goes on that long it almost defeats the purpose of doing it. All the hours lost on peoples' journeys and money lost by companies, how long will it take to make that up after the road is slightly improved?

The only upside I can see is that my car does crazy mpg cruising at 50 :)

I can hit 35MPG if I sit at 50MPH with Cruise control on and the roof up, just about manages it lol

TIDL, the GIANT HAIL we are getting down here, Thunder and Lightening is pretty cool though.

Hailing so much it's eroded the Bird !Removed! off the car ( needs to be in the other section really )

^ Yeah I can sort of understand why they do it like this, but why don't they just resurface the road properly with nice smooth tarmac? Is that a lot more expensive?

Quick answer would be yes. Surface dressing is the cheapest way to extend the life of a road which is in good order (they may do some patching repairs to deeper potholes/damage prior to the surfacing).

Micro Asphalt surfacing is next up and more expensive but, pending how busy the road is, isn't suitable in some instances.

http://www.highwaysmaintenance.com/JPEGsmac.htm

Next up still is full re-construction of the road and surfacing in DBM (dense bitumen macadam) or HRA (hot rolled asphalt) for example. Obviously this is far more expensive than the other methods but is probably more likely to happen on larger A roads in the county.

rather than hand them cash for nothing".

Isn't that labours forte?

It is yes, but it's a system put in place by them that's still going. also it employs too many people itself to run it, benefit staff should be made to work in the mines for granting them to anyeone

I don't like this.

Need a new tyre, turns out I've lost my locking wheel nut so I've had to ditch qwik fit and go to a Ford garage.

People who slam on the brakes all of a sudden while driving, to let a pedestrian cross a busy road. (Especially when there is an actual crossing just 20 meters ahead!)

^ Cyclists who use them, Zebras or traffic lights, should be a fine'able offence.

Zebra crossing should burn in the Pitt of hill. I hate how anyone can just walk near one and all of a sudden as a driver you have to slam the anchors on like there is a baby laying in the road. Go through and you risk driving without due care, slam your anchors on and risk driving without due care when someone goes in your backend...

I find pedestrians always tend to just sprint into the crossings from nowhere. Also more often than not they just waltz out there as if they have some sort of invincibility protection spell.

Irritating tards...

People who slam on the brakes all of a sudden while driving, to let a pedestrian cross a busy road. (Especially when there is an actual crossing just 20 meters ahead!)

That's why this poor Focus got totaled, thanks to the BMW stopping unexpectedly,

I was told the BMW stopped to let a woman with pram cross, I really can't see why though,

the road is quiet and there is an island crossing one way, and a proper crossing further down.

^ That's stupid as hell. Assuming the Focus wasn't tailgating the BMW driver, can't the BMW driver be done for driving without due care/attention or similar?

Hate these fools that slam on the anchors for pedestrians all the time. Possibly my biggest pet hate on the road.