sayerbloke Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 A conversation just now reminded me how for last months TSN meet I drove through the centre of Swindon [... don't ask why] and I came up against this: I seem to remember there's something similar near Windsor, though as I wasn't driving at the time we encountered it, I might be wrong. Anyway, my question being 'what the hell must have been going through the road designers mind when they came up with a structure like that?!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 We had this a few months back...and silly me was convinced it was a wind-up!!! I still find it difficult to comprehend the design process of that roundabout! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza_g Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 cheers - I've been looking for that image for ages Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayerbloke Posted August 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 I`ve driven it... and I still don't understand it! By the sounds of it, neither did A_S, but he had a better solution available Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilB Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 On the floor it's totally unfathamable, but when you see an overhead shot like posted above it does start to have some logic, rather then going all the way round to take the 4th exit, just turn right and take it as the first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 The one in Hemel Hempstead seems to work well enough. I'll be using it twice tomorrow going to and from AMD. I wonder which way round I'll go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorburn Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 [ QUOTE ] We had this a few months back...and silly me was convinced it was a wind-up!!! I still find it difficult to comprehend the design process of that roundabout! [/ QUOTE ] Very real, driven it a few times since I've moved here and I don't particularly like it, it seems to create massive queues at peak times, more so than a normal roundabout and you always get some idiot (often me) who doesn't have a clue what the feck he's doing. I've found it fine if you know in advance which exit you need and how to get there, but if you just arrive at it and are looking at the sign posts and trying to work it out then its hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmoo Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 can you imagine putting this design forward in the council offices... then again i wouldnt put anything past them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonb Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 As a civil engineer - that's the type of road that we'd call a f**king nightmare to build! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonb Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Impressive though - took some building no doubt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterb Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 There's one in High Wycombe, and it's often quicker to go all the way around it the 'wrong' way than to take the shortest route, just because the majority of people cannot cope with going anti-clockwise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 I've arrived safely at AMD with a clockwise negotiation at Hemel. It does just work really well. Anti clockwise on the way home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randellp Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 I like the magic roundabout. I lived in Swindon for a few years and there are some good shortcuts round it if you know where you're going. Above all, it's about the most interesting thing in that blessed town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayerbloke Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 [ QUOTE ] I've arrived safely at AMD with a clockwise negotiation at Hemel. It does just work really well. Anti clockwise on the way home. [/ QUOTE ] What you at AMD for today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_C Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 [ QUOTE ] can you imagine putting this design forward in the council offices... then again i wouldnt put anything past them! [/ QUOTE ] Absolutely! I have the dubious honour of working in Swindon, and I've never quite been able to fathom out why nearly all the roundabouts here have light-controlled pedestrian crossings right on the exits. Someone goes to cross the road and the entire roundabout grinds to a halt - genius. As for the Tragic Roundabout, IME people tend to just treat it just like a big 'normal' roundabout, paying little attention to the markings on the road - it's every man for himself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorburn Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 [ QUOTE ] I've never quite been able to fathom out why nearly all the roundabouts here have light-controlled pedestrian crossings right on the exits. Someone goes to cross the road and the entire roundabout grinds to a halt - genius. [/ QUOTE ] Yep, I use the ones by Dominos and another by the Post Office everyday on the way to the office Causes total havoc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_C Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 It took me bloody ages to work out what Paul Biturbos 'Location' meant after when I got online following my first Audi Meet. Kept thinking Dougal and Zebedee. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I've arrived safely at AMD with a clockwise negotiation at Hemel. It does just work really well. Anti clockwise on the way home. [/ QUOTE ] What you at AMD for today? [/ QUOTE ] Went "the wrong way" round as I was effectively turning right. It's very simple if you apply the rules. I was at AMD having my throttle software adjusted. A long story but one which means I have upgraded Audi software and a tweaked software solution and a less surgy power delivery when moving from overrun to power on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loddrik Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 I tried to cross this on foot once, the most terrifying thing I have ever done, it was in morning rush hour!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_C Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 [ QUOTE ] I tried to cross this on foot once, the most terrifying thing I have ever done, it was in morning rush hour!! [/ QUOTE ] Quite...footbridges and subways seem to be an alien concept here - hence the aforementioned crossings everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiftyPence Posted August 6, 2005 Report Share Posted August 6, 2005 that is one mental roundabout, i bet its seen a fair few accidents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danksy Posted August 7, 2005 Report Share Posted August 7, 2005 It's actually very easy to use! If one way is blocked with traffic simply go around the wrong way! Works every time for me! It's funny seeing first timers working out what the feck to do though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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