Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Poorly Signposted Road Closure on Wightman Causing Chaos on Ladder
Wightman Road was closed today around midday for works to repair a gas main.
Very inadequate signposting of the road closure, along with drivers ignoring the one sign eventually put in the right place, is causing chaos on the Ladder.
Initially, there was no sign on Wightman southbound before Warham warning of the closure. This led to hundreds of vehicles including a large articulated lorry getting stuck on Wightman near the top of Warham Road. Whilst vans and cars could execute a three point turn, the lorry got well and truly stuck. In a twist to the normal story, the lorry driver tried to drive in to Warham from Wightman to execute a turn. He was failing at the point I left.
Eventually, signs were moved to forewarn drivers and indicate an escape route. Of course probably the majority of drivers are ignoring them and there's been a chaos of turning on Wightman between Seymour and Warham.
Who is responsible for ensuring the correct signage? Even of its the contractors who have to do it, surly the Council should supervise to ensure effective execution.
Works have to happen. But they needn't lead to chaos.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dick Harris on
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Here is the hole dug by the contractors for Cadent (the gas network company) in the middle of Wightman Road in order to repair a leak. As if we didn't already know, the picture shows how feeble is the ground lying under the tarmac surface. Looks like unsupported clay in part, a bit of brick rubble in places and some grey stuff which might be filler or concrete used to level up previously dug holes or trenches. A couple of grey communications ducts (cable TV or BT) running across at no great depth. The yellow sprayed lines indicate the supposed position of gas pipes. There is also a hole being dug under footway off to the left of the picture supposedly to repair a leak. The worrying element is that all previous leaks have been under or near the footways on either side which is where the low pressure mains carry the supply to individual houses. In the middle of the road, is a medium pressure main which - so far as I know - has not previously been the source of leaks.
I had hoped that all the work in 2016 to complete the replacement of the old cast iron low pressure mains with yellow plastic would eliminate further leaks caused by the ground shifting under the road. Also, the stopping of parking on the footways should also have reduced the number of leaks where pipes lead into houses.
Let us hope that the medium pressure main has not started to be a source of leaks and that the hole in the middle of the road is not the first of many more to come.
In any event, don't anyone forget that also in the roadway (and subject to the results of road traffic compressing the ground and causing it to shift about) are the water mains and deeper down the sewers.
This shows how important it is to get a big and permanent reduction in heavy vehicles on Wightman Road. There was very long articulated flat bed blocked this morning. It was fully loaded with concrete building materials probably destined for Jewson's yard. Easily 30 tons if not more.
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Permalink Reply by kotkas on
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You should print this and post this to the council. I would have suggested email but they are stuck in the 18th century.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Waller on
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Went for a walk earlier past the closure. It is now very clearly signed in advance, but some drivers heading southbound still managed to get to Warham Road and had to make a U-turn; and motorcyclists taking to the pavement.
Traffic was backed up on Beresford Road as far as Harringay Passage earlier this evening from drivers trying to get back onto Green Lanes, and the Endymion Road / Green Lanes junction is as manic / snarled as ever.
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The signposts hadn't improved when I went up Allison Rd on Thursday. Nothing at the top to show the road was closed further down.
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