Back to British Roads.....

[BillM]

Took two leisurely days travelling back up from Ile de Re to Calais ( 500 odd miles) without a single traffic jam, hold up or diversion. Had leisurely lunches, found an aire in the early afternoon, looked around a cite mediavale, and found the journey a pleasure.

At Calais I checked and rechecked sat nav and google maps whilst waiting for the tunnel, and like a fool decided to head back up to Yorkshire via the Dartford crossing M25, and either M11&A1, or MI.

First hold up just after joining M20.... 15 miles of coned off lanes to provide a lorry park for Brexit... leaves only 2 running lanes in theory, but only 1 if some poor soul has a breakdown, as happened. An hour long queue. Although Sat Nav and google maps showed the Dartford crossing as clear... the queue northbound for the tunnels started 4 miles out. I cannot conceive of a more badly designed road set and junctions than approaching Dartford tunnels. Highways England should hang their heads in shame at the chaotic approach infrastructure, street furniture, signage, barriers and road markings that causes, literally causes traffic to slow to 10 to 20 mph on an otherwise free running road. Pass the Higjways England control centre, and see the 20 or so 4x4 highways patrol vehicles parked up.... they must be inside watching and playing car colour snooker for all the use they are. Proceed round the M25 and miss the M11 turn because there is a mile long queue to exit... miss the A1 turn necause there is a mile long long queue to exit.... take the M1 which for the first 75 miles or so is plagued with works, speed limits and choke points. Eight bl***dy hours, without stopping for a break, for a 250 mile journey on the UK’s finest roads. I cannot think of a more incompetent state agency, and misnamed agency than Highways England. It should be renamed Highway Jams England.

 

[gus-lopez]

Although Sat Nav and google maps showed the Dartford crossing as clear... the queue northbound for the tunnels started 4 miles out.

That's classed as "clear" lol. It is always that length and only ever gets longer.

 

[pappajohn]

Couldn't agree more.
On a much smaller scale but just as contentious..... North York County Council and the highways dept are to install two new sets of lights on junctions in Scarborough which, other than at extreme busy times, don't warrant them.
One set is 200mtrs from an existing set and the other is 100mtrs.
Its a proven fact here that lights this close and not synchronised (the don't know the meaning) causes major bottlenecks.

 

[keithchesterfield2]

I've been led to believe that the Highways departments are an arm of an agency determined to bring this country to its knees by paralysis of it's transport systems.
It seems to consider that if everyone stopped at home and didn't use any form of transport then pollution would decrease and climate change (appropriate for today's protest) would be solved in a short space of time.

They are actually a bunch of twots.....

 

[Bluemanc100]

And don’t get me started on the standard of driving in this country.. lane discipline.. two words totally missing from the majority of our driver’s vocabularies

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[Sundowners]

The delay probably gave you enough time to see all the rubbish on the verges too.?

 

[Lenny HB]

Couldn't agree more.
On a much smaller scale but just as contentious..... North York County Council and the highways dept are to install two new sets of lights on junctions in Scarborough which, other than at extreme busy times, don't warrant them.
One set is 200mtrs from an existing set and the other is 100mtrs.
Its a proven fact here that lights this close and not synchronised (the don't know the meaning) causes major bottlenecks.

Two sets of lights 100m apart on the A27 at Worthing, not synchronised causes massive tailbacks.

 

[keithchesterfield2]

Two sets of lights 100m apart on the A27 at Worthing, not synchronised causes massive tailbacks.

You can contact your Local Highways department and discuss the situation and ask for an explanation in writing why they are set in what you consider the wrong sequence.
I did it with a set of lights in our town and they were adjusted to conform with common sense.
Unless you actually do something rather than just moan about it then nothing will alter - give it a go and let us know how you get in.
?

 

[2x2camper]

Took two leisurely days travelling back up from Ile de Re to Calais ( 500 odd miles) without a single traffic jam, hold up or diversion. Had leisurely lunches, found an aire in the early afternoon, looked around a cite mediavale, and found the journey a pleasure.

At Calais I checked and rechecked sat nav and google maps whilst waiting for the tunnel, and like a fool decided to head back up to Yorkshire via the Dartford crossing M25, and either M11&A1, or MI.

First hold up just after joining M20.... 15 miles of coned off lanes to provide a lorry park for Brexit... leaves only 2 running lanes in theory, but only 1 if some poor soul has a breakdown, as happened. An hour long queue. Although Sat Nav and google maps showed the Dartford crossing as clear... the queue northbound for the tunnels started 4 miles out. I cannot conceive of a more badly designed road set and junctions than approaching Dartford tunnels. Highways England should hang their heads in shame at the chaotic approach infrastructure, street furniture, signage, barriers and road markings that causes, literally causes traffic to slow to 10 to 20 mph on an otherwise free running road. Pass the Higjways England control centre, and see the 20 or so 4x4 highways patrol vehicles parked up.... they must be inside watching and playing car colour snooker for all the use they are. Proceed round the M25 and miss the M11 turn because there is a mile long queue to exit... miss the A1 turn necause there is a mile long long queue to exit.... take the M1 which for the first 75 miles or so is plagued with works, speed limits and choke points. Eight bl***dy hours, without stopping for a break, for a 250 mile journey on the UK’s finest roads. I cannot think of a more incompetent state agency, and misnamed agency than Highways England. It should be renamed Highway Jams England.

I suppose it hasn't got anything to do with the sheer number of vehicles trying the use the road by any chance

 

[Vic. Parsons.]

It's not the traffic flow, it's the roads themselves, they're total shite compared to Europe, in fact coming back to the UK is like arriving in a third world country.

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[keithchesterfield2]

I suppose it hasn't got anything to do with the sheer number of vehicles trying the use the road by any chance

I suppose it hasn't got anything to do with the sheer number of vehicles trying the use the road by any chance

Probably not - we went towards Eurotunnel a few days ago and there was a lot of traffic heading East but we had no problems but going in the opposite direction there was nothing but slow or stopped traffic and we dreaded the return journey in a few weeks time.
I believe the management of Highways must live far away from the chaos they cause.
?

 

[Pete5996]

On another thread earlier today, someone mentioned a 6hr drive to cover the 300 miles to the ferry.
Is it really possible to average 50mph on a longish journey in the UK these days?

 

[Camdoon]

There are always going to be differences in travelling through rural northern France and congested southern England.
The motorways in France charge so this takes any local traffic off them. I won’t be alone on here in paying more into the French motorway system than in UK road tax.
The major toll left in the UK is the Dartford Crossing - every other toll system in Europe does not create a pinch point near a city. The bridge and tunnel are the only parts of the m25 where speeds limits are not ignored.
We forget Stompy and all the other activists who tried to stop the development of the motorways. Creating any extra capacity in the short term can only be done by creating smart motorways. Think Heathrow expansion and HS2. There is another planned lower Thames crossing but who knows what environmentalists will do.
Travelling on a Friday is always going to be busier than a Thursday. Common sense would suggest missing rush hour around London but the DC tends to grind to a crawl after 1000hr so aim to be there for 0900.
Don’t travel on a Friday it is the busiest day or Monday mornings.
Don’t think that Highways England can take the blame for all of that.

 

[keithchesterfield2]

We recently did 225 miles to Eurotunnel in just over 4 and half hours.

All motorway - M1, M25 and M20 and a comfort break.

Just saying.

 

[2657]

Why drive past St Malo, Caen, Le Havre to get to Calais and consequently the PIA that is SE England.

BF to Portsmouth everytime for me, especially from SW France.

If travelling from N France or Germany etc Zeebrugge or Rotterdam to Hull especially to Yorkshire

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[wiljoy]

We gave up travelling south for any reason. It's not worth the hassle. Hull to Zeebrugge is so easy from the North.

 

[Hils and Glenns]

Took two leisurely days travelling back up from Ile de Re to Calais ( 500 odd miles) without a single traffic jam, hold up or diversion. Had leisurely lunches, found an aire in the early afternoon, looked around a cite mediavale, and found the journey a pleasure.

At Calais I checked and rechecked sat nav and google maps whilst waiting for the tunnel, and like a fool decided to head back up to Yorkshire via the Dartford crossing M25, and either M11&A1, or MI.

First hold up just after joining M20.... 15 miles of coned off lanes to provide a lorry park for Brexit... leaves only 2 running lanes in theory, but only 1 if some poor soul has a breakdown, as happened. An hour long queue. Although Sat Nav and google maps showed the Dartford crossing as clear... the queue northbound for the tunnels started 4 miles out. I cannot conceive of a more badly designed road set and junctions than approaching Dartford tunnels. Highways England should hang their heads in shame at the chaotic approach infrastructure, street furniture, signage, barriers and road markings that causes, literally causes traffic to slow to 10 to 20 mph on an otherwise free running road. Pass the Higjways England control centre, and see the 20 or so 4x4 highways patrol vehicles parked up.... they must be inside watching and playing car colour snooker for all the use they are. Proceed round the M25 and miss the M11 turn because there is a mile long queue to exit... miss the A1 turn necause there is a mile long long queue to exit.... take the M1 which for the first 75 miles or so is plagued with works, speed limits and choke points. Eight bl***dy hours, without stopping for a break, for a 250 mile journey on the UK’s finest roads. I cannot think of a more incompetent state agency, and misnamed agency than Highways England. It should be renamed Highway Jams England.

Just a reminder. Did you pay the dart charge. So easy to forget when you've had a horrendous journey. I've forgotten before now.

 

[olley]

Came up from Canterbury yesterday on the A2 queued on the slip road on to the M25 and all the way to the tunnel but I expected that.
As you near the tunnels get in lanes 2 or 4, lorries over 7.5t aren't allowed in the right hand lane in either tunnel so those lanes move a lot quicker.
You could turn of at Bluewater and join the M25 at the last junction before the tunnels but this is a well used shortcut so you may find just as much traffic, best bet is to go through late at night or very early.

 

[Vic. Parsons.]

While on the sudject of British roads, what about the drivers on them?
Is it just me or are our drivers becoming more aggressive and impatient by the day?

I had someone hang on their horn at me yesterday because I couldn't do a drag race start on a roundabout and therefore get out of his way fast enough because he was driving like Schumacher in his BMW. I think I must have added at least 2 seconds to his journey! it almost seemed like he was having some kind of psychotic episode......

 

[spitfire]

There are always going to be differences in travelling through rural northern France and congested southern England.
The motorways in France charge so this takes any local traffic off them. I won’t be alone on here in paying more into the French motorway system than in UK road tax.
The major toll left in the UK is the Dartford Crossing - every other toll system in Europe does not create a pinch point near a city. The bridge and tunnel are the only parts of the m25 where speeds limits are not ignored.
We forget Stompy and all the other activists who tried to stop the development of the motorways. Creating any extra capacity in the short term can only be done by creating smart motorways. Think Heathrow expansion and HS2. There is another planned lower Thames crossing but who knows what environmentalists will do.
Travelling on a Friday is always going to be busier than a Thursday. Common sense would suggest missing rush hour around London but the DC tends to grind to a crawl after 1000hr so aim to be there for 0900.
Don’t travel on a Friday it is the busiest day or Monday mornings.
Don’t think that Highways England can take the blame for all of that.

As you can see we live in France and have each year added up our toll charges for our cars, motorbike and van and they come to way less than the road tax cost would be for them in the U.K.

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[busby]

Took two leisurely days travelling back up from Ile de Re to Calais ( 500 odd miles) without a single traffic jam, hold up or diversion. Had leisurely lunches, found an aire in the early afternoon, looked around a cite mediavale, and found the journey a pleasure.

At Calais I checked and rechecked sat nav and google maps whilst waiting for the tunnel, and like a fool decided to head back up to Yorkshire via the Dartford crossing M25, and either M11&A1, or MI.

First hold up just after joining M20.... 15 miles of coned off lanes to provide a lorry park for Brexit... leaves only 2 running lanes in theory, but only 1 if some poor soul has a breakdown, as happened. An hour long queue. Although Sat Nav and google maps showed the Dartford crossing as clear... the queue northbound for the tunnels started 4 miles out. I cannot conceive of a more badly designed road set and junctions than approaching Dartford tunnels. Highways England should hang their heads in shame at the chaotic approach infrastructure, street furniture, signage, barriers and road markings that causes, literally causes traffic to slow to 10 to 20 mph on an otherwise free running road. Pass the Higjways England control centre, and see the 20 or so 4x4 highways patrol vehicles parked up.... they must be inside watching and playing car colour snooker for all the use they are. Proceed round the M25 and miss the M11 turn because there is a mile long queue to exit... miss the A1 turn necause there is a mile long long queue to exit.... take the M1 which for the first 75 miles or so is plagued with works, speed limits and choke points. Eight bl***dy hours, without stopping for a break, for a 250 mile journey on the UK’s finest roads. I cannot think of a more incompetent state agency, and misnamed agency than Highways England. It should be renamed Highway Jams England.

That's why I only use Dover when returning home at 2.0am in the morning..Otherwise it's Portsmouth every time.BUSBY.

 

[Camdoon]

As you can see we live in France and have each year added up our toll charges for our cars, motorbike and van and they come to way less than the road tax cost would be for them in the U.K.

Mind you we are probably equidistant from the nearest peage.

 

[Lot lover]

If the return journey from DoverFolkestone to wherever is so bad, don't leave the UK. Your economy needs you !!

 

[shawn&emma]

While on the sudject of British roads, what about the drivers on them?
Is it just me or are our drivers becoming more aggressive and impatient by the day?

I had someone hang on their horn at me yesterday because I couldn't do a drag race start on a roundabout and therefore get out of his way fast enough because he was driving like Schumacher in his BMW. I think I must have added at least 2 seconds to his journey! it almost seemed like he was having some kind of psychotic episode......
[/QUOTE

Emma always says that's I become more aggressive with my driving as soon as we hit UK roads again. I think you don't notice it yourself when it's part of your normal daily grind. It's the main reason we dropped out of 'normal' life 10 years ago.

 

[emjaiuk]

It's a fallacy that you don't get jams and roadworks on the continent. Admittedly not usually as bad as the UK on a regular basis but it happens. Before retirement I used to travel to Paris, Dusseldorf, Brussels and Amsterdam relatively often, and after retirement spent a few years delivering urgent aircraft spares to Europe, and the Route de Soleil around Lyon in summer can be very frustrating. I still remember the horrors of the French installing the central concrete barrier on the A1. It seemed to go on for years. The Kennedy Tunnel at Antwerp is a notorious bottleneck, Dutch motorways approaching Amsterdam and other major cities anywhere near rush hour can rival the M25 and German autobahns in the Ruhr are to be avoided at busy times.
My own view is that congestion on motorways and major roads is exasperated by having junctions to close together, e.g. the pererpheriques in Paris and Bordeaux, and England having the majority of the population squeezed into relatively small areas tends to have more closely spaced junctions than most other countries.

Malcolm

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[SpeedyDux]

Major UK road investment became politically taboo after the 1980s. The reason being that building more /better roads apparently increases car journeys.

How about allowing the population to grow to 65 million (officialy) or 80+ million (unofficially) when the main road network was designed for a population of less than 50 million most of whom could not afford a car in those days.

Yes, driving standards are appalling and every journey we do seems to involve a near miss. Last week it was an old model E class Merc estate being driven like it was stolen or the driver was a cokehead. Undertook our PVC at warp speed (@ 90 mph) approaching the Almondsbury Interchange, nearly hitting our front bumper, and shot straight across into lane 5 without indication, while the variable speed limit was 60 due to congestion. Accident waiting to happen.

 

[mitzimad]

We were diverted of the a2 last night got to roundabout and all five exits had a diverted traffic sign on them luckily I had some idea where I was going and as a plus most of the traffic took one of the other options

 

[Odd-no-more]

It's not the traffic flow, it's the roads themselves, they're total shite compared to Europe, in fact coming back to the UK is like arriving in a third world country.

Everything here is like that, we have the worst public services in the developed world, 2nd rate NHS, 2nd rate schools, 3 rate road system run by people who want to stop any vehicle moving anywhere, 3rd rate police service and 4th rate ambulance service etc. etc.

I think a lot of this is caused by the lack of democracy in this country. The political system is run for the benefit of the rulers not the ruled. If we had a system which allowed us to vote for something instead of the one we have now where we can only vote against, things my get better. But "they" will never let us have that. Look how they are stopping the B word.

 

[Allanm]

It's a fallacy that you don't get jams and roadworks on the continent. Admittedly not usually as bad as the UK on a regular basis but it happens. Before retirement I used to travel to Paris, Dusseldorf, Brussels and Amsterdam relatively often, and after retirement spent a few years delivering urgent aircraft spares to Europe, and the Route de Soleil around Lyon in summer can be very frustrating. I still remember the horrors of the French installing the central concrete barrier on the A1. It seemed to go on for years. The Kennedy Tunnel at Antwerp is a notorious bottleneck, Dutch motorways approaching Amsterdam and other major cities anywhere near rush hour can rival the M25 and German autobahns in the Ruhr are to be avoided at busy times.
My own view is that congestion on motorways and major roads is exasperated by having junctions to close together, e.g. the pererpheriques in Paris and Bordeaux, and England having the majority of the population squeezed into relatively small areas tends to have more closely spaced junctions than most other countries.

Malcolm

But the road surfaces are better and there is no litter!

 

[Lot lover]

Of course there are traffic jams here, I read it in a earlier post so it has to be true.

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