What a time to demolish a bridge

Stupid Highways Agency pick the busiest weekend of the year for travel to/from Manchester Airport and they close M56 at junction 5 to the airport to demolish a bridge that's not going to be replaced until November. Traffic at junction 6 (where all traffic was forced off) was unbelievable. Took me 1.5 hrs to get from junction 7 to the airport. Traffic at a standstill everywhere from Altrincham to Wythenshaw. And on top of that the afternoon shift of baggage handlers were stuck in the traffic as well, so luggage took nearly 2 hours to come through. Total time spent on one job 6 hours instead of 2. Manchester Airport is bad enough any time without this. Rant over.

We came home along M62 yesterday and matrix signs were indicating M56 closed at Jcn 5 to 6 from the Yorkshire side

Hi there,

I took the advice of someone on the Forum and bought a Garmin 760 Camper last year.   

It has an amazing option for "Detour" that gives you options at various distances ahead of your location.

It also warns you of any traffic problems, gives you the period of expected delay, will offer an alternative route and tell you how much longer it will take you to get to your destination.

A great bit of kit.   

Many thanks to whoever suggested it.  (It wasn't you was it Paul?)     

Best regards,
  
Ian

Dutto wrote:Hi there,

I took the advice of someone on the Forum and bought a Garmin 760 Camper last year.   

It has an amazing option for "Detour" that gives you options at various distances ahead of your location.

It also warns you of any traffic problems, gives you the period of expected delay, will offer an alternative route and tell you how much longer it will take you to get to your destination.

Ian

Don't they all do that? mine does and it's just an ordinary Garmin 5295(?)

Frank

I knew about the motorway closure after jct 6 as they had signs up all week, the official detour was on the airport website which was to come off at jct6 (I often do anyway cos it takes you in the back way to terminal 2 and theres a Greggs on the cargo area approach where you get a bacon roll and a coffee for £2 - us taxi drivers know all the best places!), but I just couldn't believe the volume of traffic that was there. I was in touch with other driver mates who were reporting that they had tried other routes and had been stationary for half hour coming from Wilmslow and Wythenshawe directions. I still can't see why they had to demolish the bridge on this weekend.

It would have been Common Sense to Not demolish a bridge on such a route at this time of the year.
However, once Higher Management and Planners are involved the first casualty is always Common Sense.
This Phenomenon can been seen in action in most Councils, Civil Service Departments, Large Companies and in All Political Parties !!

boxerman wrote:

Dutto wrote:Hi there,

I took the advice of someone on the Forum and bought a Garmin 760 Camper last year.   

It has an amazing option for "Detour" that gives you options at various distances ahead of your location.

It also warns you of any traffic problems, gives you the period of expected delay, will offer an alternative route and tell you how much longer it will take you to get to your destination.

Ian

Don't they all do that? mine does and it's just an ordinary Garmin 5295(?)

Frank

Frank,

They all give a "Detour" function but it's the first one I've seen that gives you a variety of options from the next junction to well over 20 miles ahead; and at the same time shows you the various routes and the associated times!  (One feature of my last Garmin, a Nuvi bought in 2009, was that it used to take me back to the original route as soon as possible which was often a useless feature if a whole section of road was out of commission.)

Also, this one is the first I've had with an aerial to get up to date information for "Traffic" and "Roadworks" functions.

Best regards,
  
Ian

Dutto wrote:
Also, this one is the first I've had with an aerial to get up to date information for "Traffic" and "Roadworks" functions.
Ian

Mine has an aerial for the trafic & roadworks warnings, I could, if I wished, pay a subscription to have live traffic data sent to the garmin via my mobile. From what I see and read, most of the traffic problems are South of where I live and I don't have any real traffic issues here.

Frank

I've got a Nuvi with traffic info aerial lead and as Frank says I don't think any of the traffic info has ever been in an area where I am but as Ian says the divert is useless as it just misses perhaps one junction and tries to get you back on track asap. My last sat nav (can't remember the make) had options to divert 5, 10, 20 miles and in that respect was much better.

boxerman wrote:

Dutto wrote:
Also, this one is the first I've had with an aerial to get up to date information for "Traffic" and "Roadworks" functions.
Ian

Mine has an aerial for the trafic & roadworks warnings, I could, if I wished, pay a subscription to have live traffic data sent to the garmin via my mobile. From what I see and read, most of the traffic problems are South of where I live and I don't have any real traffic issues here.

Frank

Frank,

Both Live Traffic and Map Updates are "Free for Life" with the 760; which was why I was allowed to buy it!   

The "Roadworks" on or near the route to be taken are a great feature.   

In the UK they often post "This Road Will Be Closed" notices as close as half-a-mile from where the road is blocked and on more than one occasion, before getting this new GPS, we have had to divert to back-lanes more suited to tractors towing farm equipment than motorhomes towing trailers!     

Best regards,
  
Ian

The major advantage of the 760 over other Garmin Nuvis is the ability to enter height, width and weight information which is then taken into account when routing. 
I have a 2598 and that, too, gives 3 routes, has digital traffic info and also lane guidance.  When driving in heavy traffic on one of the Madrid outer rings (yes they have more than one M25) it was really helpful to be told " Be in either of the two left lanes".