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View Full Version : Small warning for users of A4 Marlborough - Calne


Vard66
11-12-10, 08:23 PM
Just thought I'd pop a small warning up on the site.

A few weeks back, it would seem the council decided to do something daft and IMO, downright stupid.

As you come off Beckhampton Roundabout, heading towards Calne, there is now a concrete island, and I suspect there will shortly be a keep-left bollard atop it before too long.

It's in a position where it will be quite easy to come off the roundabout behind something big and slow, with the vehicle in front blocking view of the island/bollard, which will then become remarkably apparent when you pull out to overtake the slower vehicle up the hill.

I suspect this because it's at just about exactly the point I have done this hundreds of times - there have been times in the past where I have been already doing 70 by the time I crossed the spot the island now sits on.

To further my point, this evening my little brother was coming home from work, and was behind some idiot chav in a barried-up Peug-troen/ Cit-geot thing, who went to barrel past the car in front, off the roundabout, and then had to slam the anchors on dramatically, forcing him to emergency stop in turn.

BE AWARE, FOLKS. I can see a big accident happening there before very long at all.
Nelly
11-12-10, 10:15 PM
Thanks for the tip off. One of my favorite roads so i shall remember that :)
smellygerm
12-12-10, 10:10 AM
nice one dude I also use this road a lot [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
GaryMc
12-12-10, 11:16 AM
Nice one. I'm taking a mates bike out that way today for a blat so will be prepared [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
BB
12-12-10, 11:53 AM
They are also in the process of sticking an island in on the A4 on the Marlborough side too.

BB
Taylor86
12-12-10, 11:56 AM
Council obviously has some spare money knocking around... since when has this roundabout caused any kind of problems? :-?
Vard66
12-12-10, 01:49 PM
Never to my knowledge. Even though the race horses cross a couple of hundred yards up from the roundabout, and there's a turning to the right a couple of hundred yards further yet. I've never even seen any problem with people overtaking up the hill, past the turn to the gallops, though I've thought it could be potentially dangerous. The cross-hatchings I can understand, that just warns people there are hazards ahead in the middle lane, but concrete islands just strike me as stupid.

Whereabouts are they putting an island in on the Marlb end, BB?
I've not been out that way for quite a while now, being that I'm now working at the Bug & Spider.
smellygerm
12-12-10, 04:41 PM
the other one is just before you get to the pub and sticks out in each lane barely enough room to squeeze a buss through, it's crap
Vard66
12-12-10, 05:13 PM
'The Pub'?

Surely, not the Bell at Overton?

Or wait, do you mean at the end of Marlb High Street?
BB
12-12-10, 07:17 PM
No, the pub at Beckhampton.... :o

BB
Shep
12-12-10, 10:15 PM
The islands are part of "traffic calming measures" that may eventually encompass the whole A4 Kennet Longbarrow/Silbury Hill/Beckhampton/Avebury area.

The Beckhampton roundabout is a 'fast' roundabout, as most of us on bikes know, but there have been a number of minor car collisions there. When someone in a BMW lost it, and demolished a bus shelter, used by schoolchildren, the locals started a campaign for a speed limit.

These islands are the result.
Vard66
13-12-10, 12:08 PM
Ah. Yes, with you now, BB. Imma blame that one on about four litres of cider. :-[

As for the BMW and the shelter, aren't they missing the point somewhat and putting it on the wrong road?
Nooj
13-12-10, 07:45 PM
As for the BMW and the shelter, aren't they missing the point somewhat and putting it on the wrong road?

When have road policies, councils and common sense ever got together in the same room? I was surprised to see the new island on the Marlborough side the other day. I agree, it's totally pointless and will cause far more problems than it cures.
Taylor86
13-12-10, 08:59 PM
The one by the pub makes a little sense, but only because a friend of mine lives in Beckhampton, and crosses that road to get his fix of real ale ;D
Vard66
14-12-10, 07:01 PM
The one on the Marlborough side makes a bit of sense, aye. There's not all that much in the way of warning that there's a big roundabotut ahead coming from that way, so anything that makes people snap to and pay a bit more attention is good.

Also, it's far less likely to be a problem for someone overtaking, as I don't think I've ever seen anyone overtaking past the Wagon.