Reasons not to visit Gibraltar, #472

[andrewducker]

Comments

If it's just the aircraft level crossing ...

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

... up until about three or four years ago or so I had to drive across one by Heathrow on my way around the perimeter road to get up to the Radisson Edwardian or any of the other A4 based hotels.

It was very impressive, being stuck at the lights as the sliding barriers opened and a 747 or Concorde made it's way across from the hangers to the main apron.

A few years back they closed off that road (except for staff) so there's a longer detour around past the Jury's Inn hotel before rejoining the perimeter road to the north-east of the airport.

Re: If it's just the aircraft level crossing ...

[peteyoung.livejournal.com]

And that long detour is a pain in the ass!

[a-pawson.livejournal.com]

Scarily that is the actual runway, not just a taxiway. The road is the route from Gibraltar to the Spanish border. Oh and if that wasn't worrying enough, the airport is also only 500 yards from the city centre, the closest in the world to a city centre.

[zz]

best level crossing ever.

[johncoxon.livejournal.com]

That's amazing, I must see it.

Errrr

[princealbert.livejournal.com]

[martling.livejournal.com]

It's not that uncommon an arrangement at low-traffic airports. In some cases the road may only need to be closed for larger aircraft which need the full length on the runway. See this photo of Notodden in Norway, where I was flying in 2007. The road crosses the runway about halfway along. Light aircraft and gliders use the part between the road and the lake, but a handful of times a week the road is closed to allow a big twin turboprop in for a scheduled passenger service.