Yes, I know , almost treason to admit, BUT... the local major roadworks are running efficiently ;

These being the Henlys Corner ( junction of North Circular, A1 and A598 Finchley Road ) improvements here in North London . This is just down from J2 of the M1 , a pretty major junction. and a snarl up since the very long overdue improvements began in Feb, scheduled for finish in December this year .

I have only been crossing on a bicycle , going across the North Circ on the Finchley road , almost smug at the misery of drivers as they are stuck there while I zip along unhindered.

However , I can report that works are proceeding at the rate of knots and most nights as I've passed at around 7.30 pm there are men still working. Tonight , I went through at 10 pm and there were full scale works carrying on, planers, diggers and dozens of men milling around under arc lights. The Finchley Road ( North South route neatly bisecting the junction ) was solid for over half a mile going north, a good 25 min delay as the traffic was down to a lane , but again to their credit, two new slip roads just created and surfaced and bypassing the junction have been opened to traffic early, without full markings / lights, and they have helped tremendously to reduce traffic . There appears to have been a bout of common sense as the slip roads are suddenly just open and we can reap the benefit of the extra capacity immediately.

At this rate I can see the works finishing well ahead of the December schedule - well done to all at the council / TFL ( I have nothing to do with either )

However, what this junction was crying for was the tunneling of the North circ for about a quarter mile , so it needn't stop when it meets the A1 going West or again at the Finchley road. This would have made a straight run from Wood Green to Hangar Lane , Henlys corner being the only stop, but I suppose this is asking too much