AIBU to worry about how I'm going to get off my drive? - diagram

[sparklins]

There are currently roadworks on my lane which have been an absolute PITA with very little notice. The lane is narrow as it is and with the way they have been setting up barriers around the trenches they have dug in the asphalt its leaving extremely narrow spaces for cars to get past. There is one part of the lane where cars are regularly mounting the curb as to not drive into the barriers.

I have found as I returned home today they have (with no prior notice) dug trenches along the front of my property wall including running in front of my drive, they have put up barriers narrowing my drive as seen in the diagram and they have put a metal sheet/platform over the trench to allow us access on and off, however as I went to drive in I have noticed how extremely narrow this is. I struggled to get onto my drive due to how narrow it all is and have already nicked a barrier going in today and had to attempt it 3 times. Tomorrow I am going to have to pull out of my drive and turn right and with how very narrow the passageway between the barriers and the stone wall of my neighbors property is I don't know if it's possible as there is no room for any type of maneuvering to even pull forward reverse a bit and attempt to slowly inch out. I feel like with how narrow the space to pull out into is in order to get out I would essentially have to be able to turn my car at a 90 angle with no room at the front to swing it around to such.
It does not help my mind that I know in the morning the lane will be packed with workmen and I will inevitably make a fool of myself.
I can't emphasize enough how narrow the pathway for cars is so I am really worried about being able to do this.

AIBU?

We had this. DH got home one day and texted me that there was no way I would get the car on the drive.

I got the car on the drive.

@MadeOfAllWork to be fair I (just about) got the car on the drive but I don't think I can get it back off 😬

No advice really but the best diagram I've seen in over 15 yrs on here 😍

Was the cone there to stop you parking on your drive?

I once opened my front door to discover that council workmen had completely blocked my car on my drive with plastic barriers and then removed the entire pavement and then gone home at 3pm. I needed to collect my daughter from a remote location only accessible by car. There wasn’t much time to think.

So I took down all their barriers and made them into a ramp to cover the scraped off pavement and them drove over them. The barriers didn’t look so good (but they didn’t block me in again).

Anyway anecdotes aside, park elsewhere if you can because builders do not give a shit if your car gets damaged.

I always come to these threads to check the diagram approval 😄

I have to ask - why did you drive onto your drive when you saw the state of your road and knew you'd struggle to get back off?

Could you not have parked somewhere else?

We have been blocked similarly in the past for a trench when they have left too small a gap for manoeuvring . A quick word the next morning and they moved the barriers, sandbags and put extra metal sheeting down . I appreciate in your case they will need to move the soil too , but that’s just what needs to be done if they left too little space . I think sometimes people see the driveway space is clear without taking into account a car has to turn at an angle as well rather than go straight back.

@crumblingschools no, the cone was at the side of one of the barriers, probably to let cars notice the edge of the barrier a bit better but it was in the way of me being able to move in, I did put it back.

@catelynjane I was coming back with DCs in the car in the dark, the only other space to park without blocking peoples drives would have been down a country road with no street lights quite a way down. Also I could not tell just how tight it was and just edged in, only once I parked and realized I would have to come out and turn right in the morning (I arrived home) it became clear I would not be able to maneuver that way.

Update - I did manage to edge out in the morning only because the workmen did not turn up and I was able to go left rather than right and also DH who returned home last night and in an attempt to get his larger than mine car onto the drive accidentally knocked into some of the barriers and pushed them slightly to the side which created some more room. Worth noting that DH, who is much better at maneuvering than me was not able to get his car on and had to park down the road.
I ended up flagging down one of the men this morning and politely letting him know that we cannot get our cars on properly and he said he will speak to someone. I parked down the road after the school run just in case and lucky I did as they are now at the bottom of the drive completely blocking it with the barriers with a huge car blocking the road completely.