A417

[Batch]

It is not a dual carriageway up or down the hill.
Its two lanes up,one down,separated by  double unbroken white lines.

Oh OK , not a proper dual carriageway up but still 2 lanes. So unless someone pulls over the single carriageway (in a dangerous way) on the way up to enter the pub car park I don't see the issue on the hill these days.

[Ardiles]

But in any case I don't quite see your point, its dual carriageway up the hill and the pub entrance is right before the roundabout from that direction.

Popular misconception: a dual carriageway is not a road with more than one lane travelling in either direction.  It's a road with two separated carriageways and some form of physical barrier between them.  Technically, a motorway is a type of dual carriageway...as is a two lane road like this one.

This is relevant around the Air Balloon.  Neither of the A417 approaches (from Birdlip and from Brockworth) are dual carriageway, and both would benefit enormously from being so.  There have been plans in the background for years, as this forum discussion from over 10 years ago shows.

[Sir Pissalot]

But this one was a head on at 3am :

But in any case I don't quite see your point, its dual carriageway up the hill and the pub entrance is right before the roundabout from that direction.

Crickley Hill is not dual carriageway. It's 3 lane (2 up 1 down) with no barrier between the carriageways from the Air Baloon roundabout and the start of the dual carriageway at the bottom of the hill, where the first accident happened. I believe the second accident was at the junction of the 417 and the road to Birdlip village on the single carriageway just before you reach the Air Balloon roundabout. That junction has always been a death trap for anyone turning right from either direction.

[Batch]

Anyone else....

[leefer]

Crickley Hill is not dual carriageway. It's 3 lane (2 up 1 down) with no barrier between the carriageways from the Air Baloon roundabout and the start of the dual carriageway at the bottom of the hill, where the first accident happened. I believe the second accident was at the junction of the 417 and the road to Birdlip village on the single carriageway just before you reach the Air Balloon roundabout. That junction has always been a death trap for anyone turning right from either direction.

Thats the stretch i mean...though sadly the two older ladies were killed where you are talking about Batch....another motorist died in a seperate incident in which Sir Pissalot mentions.

[Ardiles]

I believe the second accident was at the junction of the 417 and the road to Birdlip village on the single carriageway just before you reach the Air Balloon roundabout. That junction has always been a death trap for anyone turning right from either direction.

That is a horrible junction.  Look at it.

Birdlip turn on the A417

Reminds me of this one not far from where we live.

A30/A327 junction

Deathtraps...both of them.

[Sir Pissalot]

Anyone else....

Sorry.  This can happen when lots of posts are being made at the same time.

[Batch]

I was only joking, done it loads myself.

That right turn, that is horrific. The road is so busy its inevitable someone will take more of a chance than they should.

Not a laughing matter, but I can't help but see this modification once made to the signpost:



(actually not sure it is that junction but...)

[leefer]

Sorry.  This can happen when lots of posts are being made at the same time.

Ditto

[Sir Pissalot]

I was only joking, done it loads myself.

That right turn, that is horrific. The road is so busy its inevitable someone will take more of a chance than they should.

OK.  No problem.

I use this road regularly and have seen lots of near misses at that junction.  It's a horrible set up.

[Nomoreheroes]

1. The junction: It is a shame that when they widened the road going up past the Air Balloon they didn't keep the old road and join it to the Air Balloon roundabout. With a bit of thought they could have got rid of the 'dogging' area and the dangerous turning off the A417.

2. I find it quite unnerving overtaking lorries when driving up from Brockworth to the Air Balloon. You have to rely on other motorists knowing not to overtake coming down the hill. Although its clearly signed and the appropriate lines are marked on the road, I don't like relying on the skill of others! A barrier between the two sides of the road is a minimum requirement for such a fast road imho.

[RWB Robin]

2. I find it quite unnerving overtaking lorries when driving up from Brockworth to the Air Balloon. You have to rely on other motorists knowing not to overtake coming down the hill. Although its clearly signed and the appropriate lines are marked on the road, I don't like relying on the skill of others! A barrier between the two sides of the road is a minimum requirement for such a fast road imho.

I agree....I drive up there so often and am always unnerved when overtaking, and then there are the idiots in BMWs(!!!) who come up on your tail ignoring the fact that it is a 60mph limit, not 80mph, and want to get onto the roundabout and up the hill beyond before anyone else, overtaking vitually up to the beginning of the island for the Birdlip junction, knowing that is then slow (officially in part) up to the next roundabout..... And then there is the opposite problem of rush hour queues all the way along that section to the Air Balloon...  urgent work needed, but unlikely!!!  I thought when there were all those roadworks a couple of months ago that they might actually be doing something there, but nothing of note.

[Sippo]

Sad.

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/10784839.Purton_woman__91__dies_in_car_crash_on_A417/

Where is nettleton bottom? Maybe driver error? I always worry when the older generation are driving.

[Ardiles]

Where is nettleton bottom?

It's the dip in the road between the end of the dual carriageway and Birdlip, just here.

[Samdy Gray]

Nettledon Bottom is where the dual carriage way ends and becomes single carriageway by the Golden Heart.