Road repairs « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

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Road repairs

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Started 10 years ago by Kenny
Latest reply from Chug

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Kenny
Member

Topic title deliberately vague, because it might be interesting for us to post road repair news as and when it happens. Humans tend to moan about things more than celebrate wins, so this is an attempt to highlight those wins in one place.

Or maybe it won't catch on. But anyway, here's one to start with.

There has long been broken carriageway on Clermiston Drive, between Parkgrove Terrace and Parkgrove Crescent, on the uphill right next to a speed hump, which makes it an unpleasant bit of road to navigate. Ninja workies must have been at it about a week ago, because I noticed that it was suddenly now smooth (well, the tarmac is bulging up a bit, but it's a lot better than it was). Winner!

Posted 10 years ago #
Greenroofer
Member

The steep hill bit of Craighouse Road is being completely renewed. It's half-finished at present and the road is completely closed. It was due to be done by last Friday, but is now scheduled to finish on Wednesday.

I wait with interest to see if they reinstate the cycle lanes on both sides (and whether it's done with red chips). They are important because there was a fatal incident involving a cyclist at the junction with Balcarres Street a few years ago.

Should be a vast improvement: the road was pretty lumpy before, with a particularly bad bit just by the junction with Balcarres Street, which you hit just as you reach top speed on the descent.

Posted 10 years ago #
gembo
Member

Given year end coming up there should be plenty of holes being dug in the Tarmac for the next three weeks.

Posted 10 years ago #
559
Member

@Greenroofer, absolutely no disrespect, but Craighouse Road has no junction with Balcarres Street.
The junction you are referring to is Craighouse Gardens/Craighouse Road.
Craighouse Gardens is a continuation of Balcarres Street.

Posted 10 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Think I mentioned this elsewhere, but nice new Tarmac beside bus stop Gilmore place/viewforth, where there was a badly placed hole.

Posted 10 years ago #
Stickman
Member

All of the potholes on Manse Road have been marked out on white paint - perhaps it is also on the list of repairs?

Posted 10 years ago #
Greenroofer
Member

@559. I learn something new every day! You are quite right. I'd always thought it was Balcarres Street right to the end, but it's not.

Whatever it's called, I hope that the junction will be better by Thursday, when it's all due to be finished.

Posted 10 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Just 'fixed'

Posted 10 years ago #
wingpig
Member

The Lochend/Marionville roundabout's worst section has been patched over the weekend, as has the short steep pothole opposite the entrance to the Tai Chi centre.

Posted 10 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Previously

This is what it's like this evening.

Hill still shut -

And this -

Obviously the dashed white lines are still to be painted and presumably the second part of the lane will be done??

BUT the advantages of the proper red surfacing are clear.

This is a busy junction with a lot of traffic turning left towards Morningside and not well lit.

Yes that is a square with no surface tarmac.

Posted 10 years ago #
Greenroofer
Member

@chdot you say 'presumably the second part of the lane will be done'.

I don't know. Your picture clearly shows how the red chips stop when the white line at the end of ~~Balcarres Street~~ Craighouse Gardens changes from single to double. Surely, now that it's cool, they can't roll red chips into the bit that doesn't have them. Surely they aren't going to dig it up again tomorrow to put red chips in.

There are no red chips going up the hill, where there used to be a bike lane (there should be some under the red 'Road Closed' sign in your top picture).

Are they going to put in a red coating? Are they not going to bother? Time will tell. It's not looking good right now.

Posted 10 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Surely they aren't going to dig it up again tomorrow to put red chips in"

Well...

"Are they going to put in a red coating?"

You mean for the top half?

That would be bizarre.

BUT

#thisISedinburgh

Posted 10 years ago #
Greenroofer
Member

@chdot. Yup, it's truly bizarre. It means that across the throat of the ~~Balcarres Street~~ Craighouse Gardens junction, the bike lane will either change from red chips to thermoplastic exactly half way across or will disappear.

Of course, I suppose there is an argument that you don't actually need a demarcated bike lane across the part of the junction cars are exiting from: after all, by the time you get to that bit on a bike, you're riding in front of them. What you need is a lane where both exiting and entering drivers look (or ought to), and that's the bit that's got red chips on.

Indeed #thisISedinburgh

Posted 10 years ago #
Greenroofer
Member

Presumably your square with no surface tarmac is going to get some red chips tomorrow.

Posted 10 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Presumably your square with no surface tarmac is going to get some red chips tomorrow."

Not all - much wider.

Must have run out of time today...

Posted 10 years ago #
chdot
Admin

I'm not a fan of the chips.

But for wide bus lanes with a thick white line, they are probably OK -

Don't think anyone has mentioned that part of South Bridge has been resurfaced.

Posted 10 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Hope they have a spare bit of tarmac for the entrance to Craiglockhart Hill/Pond.

Posted 10 years ago #
crowriver
Member

London Road bus lanes (especially eastbound) could really do with resurfacing. Great big ridges, cracks and potholes to dodge.

Posted 10 years ago #
559
Member

@Greenroofer,
tricky stuff, street names ;)

Posted 10 years ago #
chdot
Admin

'spose I should go back today to see how they are getting on.

Posted 10 years ago #
cb
Member

Buckstone Terrace (i.e. continuation of Comiston Road) resurfacing started this week at, and a little south of, the junction with Braid Road. That junction is closed with a diversion from Braid Road down Riselaw Crescent.

Temporary traffic lights mean a reasonably long uphill section for cyclists to try and get through on green, but there is quite a lot of space (for now) for passing traffic.

Posted 10 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Fabulous new smoothness Nile Grove -

Interesting use of red chips - not nearly as visible as the white paint -

Previously the road was pretty pock-marketed, but not really as much of a problem as nearby Morningside Road which has a much higher incidence of cars too close to cyclists negotiating the moonscape.

Posted 10 years ago #
condor2378
Member

@chdot

Your "Just Fixed" photo is taken from about 100 feet away from my flat. Are you stalking me? :-)

Also the massive pothole around the manhole cover on the hatched area opposite the Morningside clock has now been fixed too, unfortunately 2 days after slightly buckling my front wheel when I was drafting a bus a bit too close to get out the way of it.

Posted 10 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"about 100 feet away"

Perhaps, though long lenses can be deceptive.

"cover on the hatched area opposite the Morningside clock has now been fixed too"

I hadn't noticed a problem - presume I cycle closer to the kerb!

The game with cones and traffic lights was entertaining.

Posted 10 years ago #
ARobComp
Member

The big hole at Toll Cross has been fixed. Was a real menace for a few weeks if you were heading onto Lothian Road from either Bruntsfield or the meadows.

Posted 10 years ago #
twq
Member

@crowriver I agree on London rd. The potholes and sunken manholes are exactly on the best line to cycle, meaning one has to cycle in primary for most of the downhill stretch. I've not had too much bother from drivers, but the traffic islands don't help matters.

Posted 10 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Today

Posted 10 years ago #
gembo
Member

Tonight I was on very well worn red cycle path at the roseburn end of Russell road. Bike is directed onto pavement and via worn red path to a crossing at a traffic island, workie van flashed me to let me cross which as nice. I never usually go that way so had never spotted the handy bit of path on the pavement (despite surface being worn)

Posted 10 years ago #
Greenroofer
Member

@chdot. It's now got a bike lane painted on in front of the junction with ~~Balcarres Street~~ Craighouse Gardens. This used to go right up the hill, but now stops just south of the junction. A bike lane all the way up the hill (like there used to be) would be nice, as it would give a bit of space from cars as I toil up at 8mph...

Bizarrely (and as shown in your first picture) there's a bike lane marked the whole way down the hill. This is a hill that I like to take primary down so that I'm in the field of view of people turning out of the junctions, and so that I don't get squeezed out at the traffic island in your first picture. This wasn't a problem because it's easy to keep up with the cars. Of course now they'll be thinking 'he should be in the cycle lane' (even if I'm doing 30mph down the hill).

I wonder if the people who designed this ever asked anyone who actually cycles up and down this hill what would work best?

Posted 10 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Bizarrely (and as shown in your first picture) there's a bike lane marked the whole way down the hill."

There used to be a lane down the hill.

Is it longer than before?

Posted 10 years ago #