Closed roads and poor signage

**slofox** · 13th March 2011, 11:37

Fell into this trap this morning...

Waingaro Road is closed today between Ngaruawahia and Glen Massey...I came upon this from the SH22 end. And was told I had to turn around and go back the way I came. The first sign I came to that mentioned the closure was at Glen Massey - 6km past the first detour available. There was no sign at all at the intersection of SH22 and Waingaro Rd nor at the intersection with Rotowaro Rd.

"Why not?" I asked the man.

Who said "There's a sign in Glen Massey."

I gently suggested that such placement was lacking in foresight given that it meant a minimum backtrack of 6.4km to Rotowaro Rd. He seemed to be unfazed and told me that the sign in Glen Massey had been there for a month. Pity it's two months since I was through there eh? And I have no doubt that everyone travelling south on SH 22 was prescient enough to foresee the closure...

Still. It did mean that my ride was extended and I had to, ahem, "hurry" through Rotowaro Rd. Which did have its redeeming features...it's an ill wind as they say.

Lucky I wasn't someone important attending an emergency...

**FJRider** · 13th March 2011, 11:48

Apart from emergency deparments being notified of road closures as a matter of course ... they WILL be notified to the general public by way of the Public notices column in local news papers ...

So its your fault you didn't know ...

**rapid van cleef** · 13th March 2011, 11:50

this is one ascpect of NZ roads that constantly frustrate me......roadworks are fine and needed, but cant the people that adminisiter them put up notices before there are no more alternative routes left................in my experience............its far too hard for these people to manage that.

pisses me right off to be honest

**Motu** · 13th March 2011, 12:18

It's for the Targa - surely you don't begrudge someone being able to drive over the speed limit on closed roads.I came across the same thing yesterday - Flinday Rd down to Miranda was closed,and also Back Miranda Rd,both for the Targa.Went up to Mangatangi and down to Miranda that way - got to pass an Evo and Porche.Sat at the chip shop watching Targa cars go past.The locals,who use these roads everyday have known for a long time about the roads being closed - do they have to tell tourists too?

**Virago** · 13th March 2011, 12:31

The real pisser is when you find yourself blissfully unaware of a road closure - and possibly on the wrong side of the barrier...

When out with the family in the cage late one Sunday afternoon, I managed to get us lost in a large forestry area. Following some rather ambiguous written instructions for our destination, I went the wrong way. After bumping and scraping down a rather narrow and bumpy forestry track for a kilometre or so, there was no doubt that I'd fucked up, but continued on for another couple of k's, looking for somewhere to turn round. At one point the track went through a rather boggy gully, and I was doubtful of our car's ability to make it through - and still nowhere to turn around. I made the decision to reverse out.

Reversing a car with manual transmission along such a track took the best part of 20 minutes - and a great deal of swearing. Upon reaching the start of the track again we found ourselves blocked in by a locked gate - and no-one in sight. WTF...?

After considering the options for a few minutes, I decided to drive back down the track and look for another way out. We made it through the boggy area, and soon after came out onto a main forestry road - yay. Should have done that in the first place. We turned the most likely direction to get us back on track.

Following the road now sure we'd find our way out, we rounded a corner to find "danger" tape strung across the road, and a sign - "Keep Out - Rally in Progress". No-one in sight...

Problem was, the sign was double-sided - we had no idea which side of the block we were on...

Decision time again, and I decided to turn around and go back the other way, creeping gingerly around corners, and with windows down listening for the sound of rally cars...

After what seemed like an eternity we eventually came out onto a road I knew, well clear of the forest, and without seeing another soul. We were on the other side of the forest from where we were meant to be...

From there we just went home.

To this day, I'm still mystified by the lack of clear signage, and the lack of marshalls.

**JATZ** · 13th March 2011, 21:02

Dunno what your complaining about

Closed roads are cool

**slofox** · 14th March 2011, 11:32

This persnickular closure was to repair a bridge the man said.

I still think it would make sense to put up a sign at the point where you can still detour without back-tracking...but then, maybe I should read back through all the public notices every time I want to go for a ride...

I noticed signs on Heatherington Road as well but had no problems with that one. Looking at the condition of the seal on that road almost convinced me that the event had already happened.

**firefighter** · 14th March 2011, 11:38

Originally Posted by FJRider

Apart from emergency deparments being notified of road closures as a matter of course ..:

When they remember to......

**Oscar** · 14th March 2011, 11:40

We did the Rainbow Track just before New Year, only to discover we were on the wrong side of a "Road Closed" at the end.

Great fun...

**Drunken Monkey** · 14th March 2011, 12:35

Originally Posted by FJRider

... be notified to the general public by way of the Public notices column in local news papers ...

Yeah, but like, who the FUCK reads those anyway?

Surely it is just common sense to put the signs up at the point of detour?!?!?

**slofox** · 14th March 2011, 13:09

Originally Posted by Drunken Monkey

Surely it is just common sense to put the signs up at the point of detour?!?!?

I would've thought so...

**FJRider** · 14th March 2011, 17:43

Originally Posted by firefighter

When they remember to......

Ok ........

**Motu** · 14th March 2011, 18:37

To me it's the thinking of glass half full or half empty...I'm more of the thinking ''Do I need a glass anyway?'' I had no problems with the road closures on saturday,I had a destination,but it wasn't important,there were other ways to get there...so I go into problem solving mode,and I like that.I had an enjoyable day getting around obstacles in my path.Perhaps it's a trials riding attitude.