Roundabout Query

rickchild

rickchild

rickchild

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Joined
2 Jan 2003
Posts
354
Location
Cambridge
Quick roundabout query, I almost get mounted every time I come home from work and was just wondering am I in the wrong here and out of order getting mad about it (not mad but a beep :rolleyes: ), or is everyone else wrong?

Roundabout with 3 approach lanes which then goes under a bridge.
There is only room for 2 cars to fit under this bridge, so I think that the left lane is for left, middle for straight and right lane for right. So I always take the middle to go straight and then aim for the leftish side under the bridge.

Because if the case was that the left lane can also go straight, as you might expect from say a 2 lane approach then this pushes the middle to the right and then those people to the right of me have nowhere to go.

But every single time I am in the middle someone tries to go straight from the left lane, pushes me accros, I have nowhere to go due to the person turning right and get forced to merge with these people.


Poor road design, my fault or theirs?
 
Sounds like theirs. A drawing might be a bit useful. I would assume left and middle approach lanes to go under *** bridge. Are there any lane markings or instructions?

+ is it just me who finds this funny: "I almost get mounted every time I come home from work"?
 
Does the right lane merge into the middle or the middle into the right. This will determine right of way.
 
Weird thing with three lane approaches to roundabouts... if there's not lanes marked out on the roundabout then legally there are two lanes around it...

so why have three approach lanes?! Asking for trouble!
 
LINKY I am travelling north on this map where the yellow hatchings are.

Here is the link to maps, looks fairly wide but definitely no room for three cars under the motorway.

There are no markings or signs at all, or even lines on the roundabout.

All the more strange as it just splits to three right near the end, maybe adding to the confusion?
 
I would say the road adding a lane just before the island allows the following:

left lane: Left turn ONLY
middle lane: Straight on ONLY
Right lane: Right Turn ONLY

:)

Thats my interpretation anyway :)
 
I would have said, left for left turn only, other two follow the two under the bridge.
If thats not obvious then some road markings are needed.
 
I would say left for left, middle for straight ahead (moving to left lane under/after bridge) and right for right.
 
Hmmm - any chance you can get a passenger to take a piccy as you approach the round about? Looking at the red car on the sat image it looks like it might be big enough for three cars but then again it might not...
 
tonyyeb said:
Hmmm - any chance you can get a passenger to take a piccy as you approach the round about? Looking at the red car on the sat image it looks like it might be big enough for three cars but then again it might not...
Click to expand...

Maybe the OP takes his car in sideways? I know that'd block 2 lanes. :p

I see what you mean, even so, the approach lanes to the roundabout should be labled as people obviously don't understand the road layout.

InvG
 
Looks exactly the same as the wraith interchange(i think) on the M74 near bothwell/uddingston.

From this it looks like it would be:

left = Left to joint motorway
Middle = straight on to the next dual carriageway/outside lane of the sliproad to the right
Right = Turning right to go south on the motorway/straight on to joint the other lane of the dual carriageway.

 
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Maybe the OP should write to the local authority for that road and explain how many near misses he has been involved in. They should paint arrows on the road. For that small cost it could save many accidents as it could be and obviously is to some drivers, unclear about which lane is for which way.
 
I know this road well enough. Certainly when you approach the roundabout there is no signs or markings mentioning any lane restrictions. There-fore you can use all three lanes to go under the motorway simple as that.

Some motorways have the left lane as "left only" on this kind of junction but this isnt one of them. To be honest i disagree about there not being room for three cars side by side under the road... there is plenty of room. Its is a bit of a nutters heaven though... expecially approaching from the left of the picture and leaving vis the road to the bottom. When you are half way round the circle some clown always trys to cut in forcing you to stand your ground or give up and go round the whole round about again :D
 
You could fit 3 cars just about if you needed to, but those in the right lane (and also those generally confused, weaving and coming from the left) will never usually give enough room as neither are really expecting to be squeezed to the edge.

So in theory enough room for the three, but without guidance it doesn't seem to ever work this way and I just get squeezed to give way from the middle and cut into the left.

Seems like a divided opinion here then, but I would say there is no need for it to go to three lanes, as there is never a queue to go left onto the motorway, seems to just add confusion. Must have been a few knocks there so maybe some arrows or signs coudl be useful.
 
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