CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

A702 closed

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  1. ARobComp
    Member

    Was out riding a loop of the Pentlands yesterday, and had completely failed to notice that the A702 is closed for line painting. This was actually quite welcome news as I tend to have to "heads down sprint" the bit of the 702 from Dophinton to West Linton in order to get to the Moor Road at West Linton for my return to Edinburgh.

    The smooth empty tarmac was epic and I was shooting along on a completely empty road until I approached a "guard van" from highways agency.

    The chap got out and told me I had to go back and divert via the a701 with all the other traffic, as it was access only. I pointed out that I wanted to get to west linton which being inside the roadworks, was technically access...

    He did not agree and stated that a motorbike had blasted through shortly before without stopping, and that the police were going to stop and charge him. I said that I would be incredibly careful about going slow or even walking around anyone working on the road, but that there was no way I was going to share the A701 with all the usual cars plus all the cars from the A702 as well.

    He effectively gave me a "the police will get you" type answer which I accepted.

    Found the motorcyclist having a cup of tea with another of the guard/work vans about halfway along the closure, saw no police, and absolutely no people working on the line painting.

    Questions
    1) Was I technically correct that I was seeking "access"
    2) It seems mad that he was so keen for me to head down to a doubly busy road
    3) They really don't ever even consider that cyclists might be using some of these roads do they?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  2. amir
    Member

    3) Almost never

    Posted 8 years ago #

  3. dessert rat
    Member

    3) almost

    Posted 8 years ago #

  4. Cyclops
    Member

    I believe there are two types of road closure orders:
    - one which closes the road to motor vehicles but still allows access for pedestrians, cyclists, horses, etc.
    - one which closes the road to everyone generally because it's physically impossible or too dangerous for anyone to pass though, eg. they've knocked down a bridge or dug a big trench.

    I'd be intrigued what offence the "police were going to get you" for.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  5. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    Probably Failure To Comply With A Traffic Sign. That's in the parallel universe where Polis Scotland has so many bobbies that they secrete themselves on closed roads just in case.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  6. edinburgh87
    Member

    Personally wouldn't have given them the time of day with that lack of pragmatism

    Posted 8 years ago #

  7. slowcoach
    Member

    There is a temporary closure order TTRO which seems to say that various parts of the road can be closed during a period by simply putting up lane closure boards (see item 8 diagram 7103) without saying that there is any exemption for access or non-motorised vehicles. Whether or not this is valid may be open to question - there are some serious flaws in TSRGD 2016 that haven't been corrected. Presumably there was a gap in the barrier big enough to cycle/motorcycle through, so does that mean the order didn't apply to the gap?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  8. slowcoach
    Member

    Also the order says "the Scottish Ministers ... have had regard to the existence of alternative routes suitable for the traffic which will be affected by this Order" so it might be interesting to ask for details of what this regard was.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  9. gembo
    Member

    @Arobcomp

    we go round the Pentlands the other way. Due to high number of mad dafties in Penicuick which increases as the day wears on but weven at 8.20 a.m. tesco is open.

    So we clocked A702 closed (see my post in a different thread, I forget whcih unhelpfully)

    We clocked this at Damhead but then the A701 when we came on after West Linton was busy with the diverted traffic as you point out

    I did suggest we go back on the shut A702 from Elsrickle but we went whang instead which took about 40mins with the wind - maybe five mins actually pedalling.

    I nearly tried the M8 the time it was shut. Expect I would have been lifted that time.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  10. ih
    Member

    @ARobComp & @Slowcoach I've read that TTRO several times now. The only reference I can see to the A702 is a speed restriction, not a closure. I'm probably missing something.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  11. slowcoach
    Member

    @ih - I may have linked to the wrong order. There are several different Orders for overlapping periods, I had a quick look at the latest, one saw the A702 mentioned, and missed that it was a speed restriction not a closure. Maybe the contractor made the same mistake or maybe there is another order that covered it.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  12. Frenchy
    Member

    I think the TTROs are worded to give a number of options, which may or may not be used throughout the course of the work.

    They all seem to say they cover "Prohibition on use of a road", "prohibition of overtaking" and "speed restrictions". These would seem to be mutually exclusive, but they only apply when the right signs are up.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  13. GDR
    Member

    @ARobComp
    What's the traffic like on the Moor Road at West Linton these days? I used to ride it regularly about 2 or 3 years ago. Had not been on it for while then decided to use a few months ago and it was like a motorway. Stopped to speak to the guys who fly model airplanes at the Penicuik end and they said it was getting busier and busier. One even had his car tailgait damaged by the backdraft from a speeding artic. Used to be an almost deserted road.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  14. gembo
    Member

    @GDR - the road seemed totally quiet this Sunday at about 8.35 heading west to west Linton - couple of cars.

    Some roads that are quiet on Sunday's are busier on Saturdays and rat runs non -fri. The kirkliston to Linlithgow road for example or the back road out of addiewell which links to the A704. But I cannot see why the moor road would ever have traffic unless the closed A702 was diverted along it.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  15. ARobComp
    Member

    @GDR I've never seen more than a couple cars on the moor road and ridden it a fair few times in various times of the year. There are so many better faster routes that I can only imagine that you got unlucky.

    Thanks for the comments everyone. Sounds like I wasn't in danger of getting "lifted" and made the right choice. Interesting how nice a road it was to blast down when there was 0 traffic on it... Normally I'm cringing in fear.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  16. GDR
    Member

    @gembo @ARobComp
    thanks for your reports on the moor road. I had been avoiding it for months after my last experience but it sounds like it was an unlucky one off-not what the model plane guys had suggested!Think I will give it another try this weekend!

    Posted 8 years ago #

  17. gembo
    Member

    @GDR yes, I would it is a joy though on sunday very strong head wind so my attempt at aero tuck faltered and I had to pedal.

    There are model plane fliers out at Woolfords ion West Lothian if you like that sort of thing.

    THere is some monument at beginning of moor road, I am away to google.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  18. Frenchy
    Member

    Moor Road is the one that runs roughly parallel to, but further east of, the A702? Between West Linton and Penicuik?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  19. ARobComp
    Member

    This one

    There is a decent old chimney along somewhere there too.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  20. amir
    Member

    @ARobComp
    Not a chimney but a sighting tower?
    See http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2899&page=4#post-44754

    Posted 8 years ago #

  21. ARobComp
    Member

    Ahhh I remember that thread. Great bit of CCE research there.

    There should be a rule on CCE.

    "There are no unknown old chimneys or towers in the lothian borders area, all are discovered and have already been identified."

    Posted 8 years ago #

  22. amir
    Member

    Don't lose hope, arobcomp

    Posted 8 years ago #

  23. gembo
    Member

    I am back from google which was semi successful on the domesday front. For instance, I know how many acres arable, moor and sheep are farmed at Ravensneuk Farm. And then confirmed by OS map. At ravensneuk farm there is the Ramsay monument, to the pastoral Poet Allan Ramsay. Also n OS remains of ravensneuk castle.

    The moor road has various little towers Linked to the underground water way. Well maybe just a pipe but it is Victorian and heads down towards Peebles. That is all probably in the other thread

    Posted 8 years ago #

  24. Frenchy
    Member

    Thanks for heads up on the Moor Road. Can confirm that it is not busy - met/passed by four or five cars on the way south, and absolutely none on the way back. Great fun on the way back with a tailwind.

    Posted 8 years ago #

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