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A couple of threads recently have made me wonder whether anybody would ever choose Blackwall tunnel over whizzing (at 0mph) around the M25 and through Dartford. Can't be many miles in it.
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Blackwall is fairly slow but relatively reliable to get out of SE London on a Friday night. Certainly escaping from Bromley on Fridays I used to either head clockwise around M25 to M40 or go thru Blackwall. Dartford is just a nightmare!
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The problem with the Blackwall Tunnel is the access roads do not have excellent links to the motorway network. The southside is certainly better than the northside, but are covered by numerous speed cameras.
Personally I would listen to Radio 2's traffic reports and use the Dartford Crossing - unless I knew there were long tailbacks. At present the road works associated with the widening of the A2 are causing some holdups, as are some of the roads leading from the M25 to Lakeside Shopping Centre on the Essex side of the Thames.
Your other alternative is to drive anti-clockwise on the M25, it may be longer but also may be quicker than either of the other choices.
--
Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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I used to travel from Bromley to Essex and back every day, and found the QE2 bridge not too bad, as long as you suss out a sneaky route to join the 25 just before the bridge (the road that goes out to Lakeside, or the A13 if clear). Generally, the traffic stacks up towards Essex- taking the A128 then A13 avoids the worst bit of the 25. As artful dodger points out, keep an ear to the traffic reports- I found the traffic interruptor very handy- saved my bacon on numerous occasions.
HTH,
Alex.
--
Dr Alex Mears
MG BGT 1971
If you are in a hole stop digging...unless
you are a miner.
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apm, the people in Brentwood and Herongate must love you! :-)
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I commute from York to our office in London at least once a week, and in recent weeks have taken to going M1-M69-M40-M25 rather than A1-A14-M11-M25 (with holdups at A14, M11 & Dartford) or M1-M25 (getting stuck at M1 roadworks & Dartford). Anything to avoid the Dartford crossing at the moment which is utter chaos not helped by A2 roadworks.
Amazingly, it's much quicker!
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As a SE London resident who drives North every couple of weeks I try and avoid 07.00 to 09.30 to go anywhere. Outside those hours the Blackwall tunnel runs pretty well if sometimes slowly. Driving straight through London avoiding the congestion zone - Oval, Vauxhall Bridge, Victoria, Hyde Park Corner, Park Lane, Edgware Rd, Lords cricket ground, Swiss Cottage and Brent Cross gets me to the A1 or M1.
Nowadays I only use the Dartford crossing as a last resort.
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Dulwich, do you REALLY use the A1 to go North? Starting on the South side of Tower Bridge, I can be at Huntingdon in about 80 minutes provided I go through the Rotherhithe tunnel, A12, M11, A14. Crossing London & up the A1 I reckon it's closer to three hours.
I suppose Dulwich to Oval is easier than Dulwich to Rotherhithe?
Top tip, go up Lisson Grove instead of Edgeware road - traffic light free.
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Thanks for the tip, but I was being brief with the deatils of my route.
I do Marble Arch, Edgware Rd, TR into George St (I think) (it's the First RT not in the dreaded zone) then TL Seymour Place, cross Marylebone Rd, up Lisson Grove, across St John's Wood Rd with Lords on my right, Grove End Rd, fork right at Abbey Rd (just before Beatles studio), TL at St John's Wood tube into Wellington Rd (A41), and A41 to either M1 or A1. My Huntingdon trip ends just south west of Huntingdon adjacent to the A1, so the A1 is a bit more direct than the Blackwall Tunnel, M11, A14. Although that is my usual route.
PS At peak times, I always return via A13 off A406 and join the Blackwall tunnel that way with a left turn rather than get stuck in the A102 queue.
My north runs are Huntingdon, Nottingham & Newcastle. (not all at once!)
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Doh! Get your "deatils" right and the rest is easy. Lack of attention to details - oops.
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last Friday evening, I had to go from J5 M25 at Sevenoaks to Stansted - and got caught in a totally stationary M25 at J3 M25!
This was at about 1930hrs! It took me an hour to get to J2 M25, then I headed off to Blackwall tunnel. No queue there at all, and good run all the way to Stansted. I only wish I had never got onto the M25 and had gone M20 A2 Blackwall tunnel instead.
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Came back that way 2 hours later and again perfect. But keep to the limit as I counted an awful lot of cameras....
T
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The M11 down to the Blackwall tunnel seems to have more 50mph and 40mph cameras on it then any bit of road I know.
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Sorry MM I got it a bit wrong again.
The Marble Arch onward north route I said I use, is only for when the C. Zone is not operative. When it is, I have to trek up the Edgware Road past the A40 flyover and as far as the traffic lights for (TR) St John's Road.
In February the Vauxhall Bridge to Edgware Road run (yes, just one road) will be the only way to cross central London in Congestion Zone times without an enormous detour...Grrr.
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Thanks, DE. I thought you might have hit the c-zone that way and was going to ask how you blocked off your numberplates...
Post Feb 18 next year, I'll either be paying my £8, converting to LPG, or using M11 then M25 or A14.
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