the new Darlington "by-pass" road

[steveisfrowning]

Didn't even know the new road was opening, but it was open today and I decided to go up it.

First things first - after all the disruption of recent months the traffic has flowed freely up Haughton Road in recent days because of the removal of the temporary traffic lights - so the new roundabout has operated as a normal roundabout - no lights, just give way as normal. Today the proper traffic light system has been switched on and, guess what, queues aplenty - and plenty of instances where you're sat behind a red light and can see that no traffic is being fed through......so on a normal roundabout you'd be away and off. Rubbish!

Because there are so many exits and the lights go in sequence you can be sat for ages - especially as they seem to hold green for ages......again, frustrating when no cars moving through.

OK - first nark over and done with, and onto the road. Single carriageway and 40mph. Approaching McMullen Road you've got another set of lights to hold you up. Navigate those and, eventually, you get onto the a66 bypass where the stupid new bridge is situated (the one where the farmer will put a cow over it twice a year).

i seem to think there was another set of lights (maybe a pedestrian crossing) in the mix somewhere along the line.

underwhelmed, I'm afraid - and rather frustrated by what looks like poor planning to me (not to mention the costs). Finally, I understand the council is doing some consultation to try and assess the impact the new road will have on other roads in the area.

[Pud237]

Sounds just like the A19/Portrack Lane roundabout system, which is a total nightmare now there's traffic lights controlling entry and exit, which seem to operate 24:7 rather than just busy times.

[steveisfrowning]

Originally Posted by Pud237

Sounds just like the A19/Portrack Lane roundabout system, which is a total nightmare now there's traffic lights controlling entry and exit, which seem to operate 24:7 rather than just busy times.

reminded me of that - it's just a muddle and an eyesore. A simple roundabout would have sufficed.

I'm glad my "poll tax" payments are so well spent.

[Cup 57]

Stupid traffic lights on roundabouts, grrrrrr.

The A19/ A1231 (Washington turn) roundabout really gets my goat. Traffic lights at 3 in the morning. As one set goes green the next set turns red just as you get there.

There's proabably some evil car hater sat somewhere with CCTV cameras controlling the lights deliberately. Either that or I'm paranoid!

[steveisfrowning]

i've been though a couple of times and I've head a few people claim that they'e been held up for ages


i might be a snob but I can't help feeling that the run alongside red hall will be 'tin pot alley'

Originally Posted by steveisfrowning

i've been though a couple of times and I've head a few people claim that they'e been held up for ages


i might be a snob but I can't help feeling that the run alongside red hall will be 'tin pot alley'

You're not and it already is!

[jeeper2201]

Originally Posted by Cup 57

Stupid traffic lights on roundabouts, grrrrrr.

The A19/ A1231 (Washington turn) roundabout really gets my goat. Traffic lights at 3 in the morning. As one set goes green the next set turns red just as you get there.

There's proabably some evil car hater sat somewhere with CCTV cameras controlling the lights deliberately. Either that or I'm paranoid!

Thats the roundabout my tensioner gave up on. stuck in lane 3 at the lights at dusk, in the rain with a dead alfa with a dying battery. that gets the old bum muscles twitching.