On the local news, the A80 has been blocked for almost 4 hours due to snow and jack knifed lorries.
The M8 Eastbound is closed at Shotts, presumably due to snow as well.
In this weather do you use the main routes, as they should be gritted and ploughed first, or do you use town and back roads? At least with the latter you can usually go for a plan b if plan a doesn't work. If a lorry jacknifes ahead of you on the A80 or M8, then you are totally snookered!!
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I would say stick to the main roads as should be kept reasonably clear plus more chance of being found rather than down a country lane if somehting happens
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Depends a lot on how good your vehicle is at negotiating the likely conditions, if your vehicle is up to it and you are fairly self sufficient then get off the main drag if you know it's going to be chaos, ive often got home by doing exactly that over the years.
I try to avoid single track roads unless they don't have blind bends though, too much danger of a head on prang.
Obviously if you are going it alone, take some essentials.
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Back roads every time round here - the obvious routes are very congested, and anything resembling a motorway or dual carriageway is best avoided, in case of an accident you can be stuck for hours.
Of course it helps to have some sort of 4wd, whatever the knockers say.
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Main roads will be better salted, and the greater amount of traffic will aid the melting.
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Using the mainest road there is for this trip - M74 - northbound on Saturday afternoon around Lockerbie we had driving snow and a good layer covering all lanes. No gritters northbound but there were 4 heading south - small comfort. At least at the worst point everyone behaved & stuck to the single lane at approx 30mph.
I wouldn't have liked to try any alternative route back to Edinburgh eg Moffat & the Devils Beeftub!
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You need to know your back roads before you use them. YOu need to know where the hills are, the exposed parts, thickness and freshness of smow etc so you can make a judgement on how likely you are to get through.
In an area you dont know, its main routes *every* time. If its familiar ground, make a judgement.
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Spent eight years living a stone's throw from the Beeftub road. Total hoot in the Westfield in any weather but especially good fun on frozen snow !
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last Friday i took M1 from Luton to Durham with no real problems. There were a couple of accidents, but Natalie (my Sat Nav) suggested coming off the M-way ahead of the jams and rejoining later. Journey took 4 hours instead of usual 3.5.
Journey back today A1, but A6 blocked so Natalie suggested a little back road. Was passable with care, but twists, and ditch and serious climbs would ahve been impossible last Friday, and as I write now, equally so.
So - if stuff still falling and route a little tricky - stick with M-way, but if conditions have improved chance a few back roads depending on distance being covered, no right/wrong answers
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