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 Post subject: Re: Motorway Lighting
PostPosted: Fri Dec 10, 2021 3:20 pm 
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I travelled through Thorpe Interchange last month and large sections of original lighting have been removed from some sliproads.


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 Post subject: Re: Motorway Lighting
PostPosted: Fri Dec 17, 2021 4:09 pm 
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Paianni wrote:
I travelled through Thorpe Interchange last month and large sections of original lighting have been removed from some sliproads.


I took a detour today to look at the situation.

On the slip roads leading from the M25 anticlockwise towards the M3 in both directions all the existing columns have been removed, with the exception of those mounted to the bridges which have to date only had their brackets removed. There are also now shiny stepped-profile aluminium columns along these slip roads, though headless (not fitted with lanterns) at present. All the other slip roads still retain their existing lighting.

So, it would appear a replacement scheme has started, and that it is the beginning of the end for the SOX and remaining 'bricks'.

UPDATE: looking at planned roadworks, the replacements supposedly go on until March time.


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 Post subject: Re: Motorway Lighting
PostPosted: Tue Dec 21, 2021 4:12 pm 
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The M4 between J3-12 is currently being converted into a smart motorway.

Using a combination of webcams and Street View imagery, I have suspicions that the main carriageway might remain fully unlit outside the M25.

There are Lumas on the new central reservation barrier inside the M25, and works are now on the verges along here. Outside the M25, verge works are now largely complete and works have shifted to the central reservation. Wherever verge or central reservation works are completed and works have switched over, you would expect to see new lighting if it were to be installed. Even as close in as the M25 junction, despite verge works being completed on the west-facing slip roads and works switching to the central reservation, there are no new columns alongside the verges of the slip roads.


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 Post subject: Re: Motorway Lighting
PostPosted: Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:15 pm 
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sotonsteve wrote:
Paianni wrote:
I travelled through Thorpe Interchange last month and large sections of original lighting have been removed from some sliproads.


I took a detour today to look at the situation.

On the slip roads leading from the M25 anticlockwise towards the M3 in both directions all the existing columns have been removed, with the exception of those mounted to the bridges which have to date only had their brackets removed. There are also now shiny stepped-profile aluminium columns along these slip roads, though headless (not fitted with lanterns) at present. All the other slip roads still retain their existing lighting.

So, it would appear a replacement scheme has started, and that it is the beginning of the end for the SOX and remaining 'bricks'.

UPDATE: looking at planned roadworks, the replacements supposedly go on until March time.


3 weeks ago there wasn't any change to the lighting from the M25 clockwise to the M3 southbound. I will be travelling the same route tomorrow for an update.

This morning the scene from the M3 northbound to the M25 anticlockwise showed most of the original lighting extant, but with several columns not working and little evidence of new works. The following are all dash cam images.

M3 junction 2 at the start of the link to the M25 anticlockwise, just pass the split for LHR.

Image

Slightly further on, about to cross over the M3.

Image

Merging with the M25, Philips MAs on the left.

Image


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 Post subject: Re: Motorway Lighting
PostPosted: Fri Feb 18, 2022 3:27 pm 
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From the M25 clockwise to the M3 southbound, all the extant columns (with Philips MAs rather than GEC bricks) have been removed from the start of the slip road, to the columns with the LED lanterns, that were installed a few years back as part of the M3 Smart motorway scheme.

2 original columns however remain, one either side of the concrete cable stayed Lyne railway bridge.


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 Post subject: Re: Motorway Lighting
PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 12:38 pm 
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sotonsteve wrote:
The M4 between J3-12 is currently being converted into a smart motorway.

Using a combination of webcams and Street View imagery, I have suspicions that the main carriageway might remain fully unlit outside the M25.

There are Lumas on the new central reservation barrier inside the M25, and works are now on the verges along here. Outside the M25, verge works are now largely complete and works have shifted to the central reservation. Wherever verge or central reservation works are completed and works have switched over, you would expect to see new lighting if it were to be installed. Even as close in as the M25 junction, despite verge works being completed on the west-facing slip roads and works switching to the central reservation, there are no new columns alongside the verges of the slip roads.


I can update on this. Based on image searches online, it would appear that the M4 will be continuously lit east of Junction 7. The new lighting appears to terminate just west of the B3026 Lake End Road bridge west of Junction 7, and the extra wide concrete barrier with barrier mounted columns reverts to a regular concrete barrier.

Not totally verified, but there may be differences in lighting between the two National Highways areas that maintain the stretch of M4 being upgraded. Junction 5 is the maintenance boundary between the two areas. Variances are potentially at least the column types used (eg. aluminium versus steel on the central reservation barrier), but part of me wonders if there could be lantern variances too. Only time will tell.


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 Post subject: Re: Motorway Lighting
PostPosted: Mon May 23, 2022 8:14 pm 
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GreatNorburyStDepot wrote:
Just a quick report, but driving along the M60 this evening towards J1 (Stockport town centre), the surviving short stretch of MA60's looks to be in a poor state of repair once again.

Out of the whole installation, I counted only five lanterns actually working.

In view that the stretch would have normally been relamped long before so many outages were apparent, you do wonder if HA have finally called it a day. The MA's further up towards Denton roundabout are still in situ (including the two pairs of GEC 'bricks' either side of the railway line as it crosses over the motorway), but I cannot confirm the operational status.

On a further note (although only very loosely related to motorway lighting), the number of GEC 'bricks' still in situ at the junction of Clark Way and the exit sliproad off the erstwhile M67 have now been reduced to just two. One has been missing its bowl for a while now, whilst the other 's bowl looks to be coming adrift on one side.

When the M67 was built, the original portion from Hyde to just beyond Broomstair Bridge / Denton (J2) was lit entirely by GEC Z9565s, with 135W versions used on the sliproads and Clark Way.

Whilst Tameside MBC is continuing to bulk relight its main routes with Holophane VMAX, it is also casually replacing any failed SOX / SON lanterns with them too.

Some installations have seen their bracket arms pruned back to accept the new lanterns, such as those off J24 / A57 / Manchester Road. I think they are using the 6 or 7 chevron type in this location and being warm white, make a pleasant change from the Arcs which were latterly employed here.


The situation on the M60 near Stockport remains largely the same, I think I counted 4 still working on that short stretch. However J24-25 is looking surprisingly good with I would say 75% of the SOX lanterns working on that section. There's also a remaining section at the junction between the M60 and M61 but I have yet to see it at night so cannot comment on its situation.


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 Post subject: Re: Motorway Lighting
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2022 2:06 pm 
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Speaking of updates, I get the impression the relighting on the slip roads at M25 Junction 12 / M3 Junction 2 is being dragged out at painfully slow pace, as there are still overnight closures programmed for "electrical works".


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 Post subject: Re: Motorway Lighting
PostPosted: Tue May 31, 2022 6:55 am 
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Also further around the M25 at J21/21A and at J22, some of the Sapphires have been replaced by Phosco P860s. Seems that this is the start of the end for the M25's Sapphires.

_________________
No LED is better than other light sources (apart from probably lanterns such as Philips LumiStreets)!


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 Post subject: Re: Motorway Lighting
PostPosted: Thu Jun 02, 2022 2:24 pm 
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Looks like most mainline SOX on the A1(M) south of J3 has been removed, according to GSV.


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