jeremytaylor
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2005
- Messages
- 2,414
- Location
- Surrey Hills
- Car
- E280CDI Sport Est., CLK 200k Cab., VW T5 174, Citroen C8, and a 2CV!
Apologies for those who never go near West London.
Hammersmith Bridge used to have a width restriction in the form of raised kerbs. The idea was to prevent heavy vehicles using the bridge (although fully laden buses are naturally allowed and have their own lane with barrier, etc.). The 7'0"/2.13m restriction was no problem for cars, because it was low down, and it successfully prevented heavy goods vehicles from using the bridge.
In their infinite wisdom, Transport For London have resurfaced the bridge and altered the width restrictions, replacing the curbs with vertical steel posts. Still 7'0"/2.13m but at door mirror height (which is quite a different width than at curb height). This means that quite a few cars have great difficulty squeezing through if they cannot fold their mirrors. A Ford S-Max is too wide, a Ford Mondeo has 26mm spare each side. Not exactly big cars, I'm sure you will agree.
But the really mad thing is that these posts stop just above the height of a car door mirror, so vans with higher mirrors aren't restricted as much. And yet it is the heavy vans they are trying to stop?!
Traffic is substantially delayed as cars slowly edge their way through, and after 1 day the posts had countless scrapes where the cars had come off worse. Congestion in the area is worse, and yet the heavy vehicles they are trying to stop continue as before. I have complained to them on-line, but I doubt what difference it will make. You couldn't make it up.
Rant over!
Hammersmith Bridge used to have a width restriction in the form of raised kerbs. The idea was to prevent heavy vehicles using the bridge (although fully laden buses are naturally allowed and have their own lane with barrier, etc.). The 7'0"/2.13m restriction was no problem for cars, because it was low down, and it successfully prevented heavy goods vehicles from using the bridge.
In their infinite wisdom, Transport For London have resurfaced the bridge and altered the width restrictions, replacing the curbs with vertical steel posts. Still 7'0"/2.13m but at door mirror height (which is quite a different width than at curb height). This means that quite a few cars have great difficulty squeezing through if they cannot fold their mirrors. A Ford S-Max is too wide, a Ford Mondeo has 26mm spare each side. Not exactly big cars, I'm sure you will agree.
But the really mad thing is that these posts stop just above the height of a car door mirror, so vans with higher mirrors aren't restricted as much. And yet it is the heavy vans they are trying to stop?!
Traffic is substantially delayed as cars slowly edge their way through, and after 1 day the posts had countless scrapes where the cars had come off worse. Congestion in the area is worse, and yet the heavy vehicles they are trying to stop continue as before. I have complained to them on-line, but I doubt what difference it will make. You couldn't make it up.
Rant over!
).
