June 25, 2012
Struth! Give way to planes crossing
In his continuing search for the more weird, wacky and wondrous in the world of travel, David Ellis says Gibraltar is the only place in the world where the busiest highway within its territorial boundaries goes right across its only airport's runway (or the runway cuts across the highway, depending on your point of view.)
With just 6.8 square kilometres of land to its name, and much of this taken up by its airport, Gibraltar's main highway that connects it with neighbouring Spain has no room to skirt around the runway, so it simply dissects its.
And to ensure those aboard everything from motor-scooters to cars, trucks, semi-trailers and tourist coaches can't stray onto the runway during take-offs or landings, traffic lights on the highway on either side of the runway are accompanied by loudspeakers emitting jet-engine noises to warn of approaching aircraft.
But with only around thirty flights a week (all to and from the UK,) traffic interruptions fortuitously are reasonably minimal.
FOOTNOTE: With Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory, being so small, a bonus for tourists and business travellers is that from the airport into the centre of the city is all of 500 metres.
(Photo: Andrew Griffith/Wikimedia))
Labels:
Struth
Support Traveloscopy - Support Responsible Travel.
Traveloscopy is a freelance journalism enterprise supporting the tourism and travel industries. We aim to encourage people to travel thoughtfully and responsibly and also support sustainable initiatives within the travel sector. You can help us cover our operating costs, even if in just a small way.
Last 30 Days' Most Popular Posts
-
Some years ago, a friend’s mother turned up a box full of her late father’s photographs. Big deal? Well perhaps at the time the photo...
-
In the highest traditions of swashbuckling adventure, Australian Russell Crowe portrays Captain “Lucky” Jack Aubrey in the current blockbust...
-
Attracted by the relatively low fares, I decided to test run an economy Xiaman Air (MF) flight from Bangkok to Sydney via Xiamen in mainlan...
-
Anybody who’s been shopping in any of the major Asian cities will know exactly what I’m talking about. The market in fake designer goods is ...
-
As politicians and union officials debate the many facets of parental leave, Australia’s longest established tour operator to Antarctica, Ad...
No comments:
Post a Comment