I’ve got a trunking job which involves going from a depot in Surrey up to Coalville for about 8-9pm and coming back down south about an hour later. The direct route is M1/M25, but whenever I take that route I get stuck in delays caused by multiple lane closures, particularly between Crick and Northampton and then between Northampton and Milton Keynes (three sections down to one lane, in total). Yesterday these delays added nearly 30 mins onto my journey which would otherwise take 2 1/2 hours.
I was thinking of taking either the M1/M69/A46/M40 route or going up the A511 and then taking the A42/M42/M40 route. That’s longer but as the M40 is less busy, any lane closures will mean shorter delays. I was once held up for 30 mins on the M42 when they were putting a closure in around 10pm, so I know that route can be slow too. What’s the best route of those to take, or are they both as bad as the M1/M25 route?
I’ve got a trunking job which involves going from a depot in Surrey up to Coalville for about 8-9pm and coming back down south about an hour later. The direct route is M1/M25, but whenever I take that route I get stuck in delays caused by multiple lane closures, particularly between Crick and Northampton and then between Northampton and Milton Keynes (three sections down to one lane, in total). Yesterday these delays added nearly 30 mins onto my journey which would otherwise take 2 1/2 hours.
I was thinking of taking either the M1/M69/A46/M40 route or going up the A511 and then taking the A42/M42/M40 route. That’s longer but as the M40 is less busy, any lane closures will mean shorter delays. I was once held up for 30 mins on the M42 when they were putting a closure in around 10pm, so I know that route can be slow too. What’s the best route of those to take, or are they both as bad as the M1/M25 route?
I usually used the A5 as the M1 diversion of choice.Don’t know what that’s like these days though.Otherwise then the choice of whatever it takes to use the M40,in preference to the M1 which now seems to be the typical idea of moving lots of traffic slowly,has to be a no brainer.
Dav1d:
The A5 is closed at Towcester, until November.
It’s also a dreadful road south of Crick, except for the bit through Milton Keynes.
Though the other day my sat-nav directed me down the A5 from Crick to Weedon Bec to avoid the Watford Gap jams, and instead of going to J16 and getting back on the M1 (where I knew there would be further delays at Newport Pagnell because the overhead gantries had warned that the services were closed), I kept on down the A5 to Towcester and then went the A43/M40 route. That went OK until I got to High Wycombe, where they’d shut the M40. It was OK but I’m looking to cut out the single carriageways as they slow you down quite a bit.
steelgoon:
As mentioned you could go M1, M69, A5, A43, M40, M25.
However if you are doing it at night all of those roads could be shut at the same time.
Realistically that leaves M4 North Circular and A41 or A1 or even A10 or M11 for North South routes from the South East let me guess we can add all those to the list.
Proof that the rail freight interests are deliberately sabotaging road transport at the times when they know it can compete most effectively with rail in terms of tonne/miles ?.
Having said that I always avoid the M25 and use Walton or Hampton Court Bridges and Staines and Colnbrook by passes to the M4 and A 404 to get to the M40 from Surrey at least.Often then don’t bother using the M40 any further than Banbury and might as well then take the choice of single carriage options to/from the Midlands with a car at least.
Sometimes I have to go from Daventry to Surrey, and also like to avoid the M1, and the route I take is the A361 from Daventry to the M40 at Banbury. So if you’re coming from Coalville, consider coming off at J18 DIRFT, and picking up the A361 at Kilsby to Daventry, then go round Daventry on the A45, then pick up the A361 again to the M40 at Banbury. This will put some time on, but not as much as getting stuck in the M1 traffic, and at least you’ll be moving, and generally have less traffic too. There’s no low bridges or weight limits. I see double deckers on the A361 all the time.
If you don’t want to go as far down the M1 as J18, use J20 and head down the A5 to DIRFT instead.
ezydriver:
Sometimes I have to go from Daventry to Surrey, and also like to avoid the M1, and the route I take is the A361 from Daventry to the M40 at Banbury. So if you’re coming from Coalville, consider coming off at J18 DIRFT, and picking up the A361 at Kilsby to Daventry, then go round Daventry on the A45, then pick up the A361 again to the M40 at Banbury. This will put some time on, but not as much as getting stuck in the M1 traffic, and at least you’ll be moving, and generally have less traffic too. There’s no low bridges or weight limits. I see double deckers on the A361 all the time.
If you don’t want to go as far down the M1 as J18, use J20 and head down the A5 to DIRFT instead.
I’ve used the A361 a few times but it’s a really slow, windy road. I used it once when starting from Lutterworth and going to Hook, Hants but it took an hour to get to the M40. I might use it if I was starting from Daventry but from Crick I’d be more likely to go A5/A43 (as I did last night).
IndigoJo:
from Crick I’d be more likely to go A5/A43 (as I did last night).
That was often one of my main options of choice to avoid the Southern part of the M1 and minimise the M25 running back to Feltham from Nuneaton or Dewsbury.But if they are creating issues on those at the same time as the M1 that sounds more like conspiracy to me.
Carryfast:
That was often one of my main options of choice to avoid the Southern part of the M1 and minimise the M25 running back to Feltham from Nuneaton or Dewsbury.But if they are creating issues on those at the same time as the M1 that sounds more like conspiracy to me.
There was a lane out on the A43 last night but it didn’t cause any delay. The night before I came down the A42, M42 & M40 and all the lane closures on that route caused hardly any delays at all, apart from having to slow down to 40mph through the lane closure on the M42. Yet, because the M1 is so busy because it’s the shortest route to London from most of the Midlands, and because they close off three lanes out of four on a stretch of motorway which is just after where two motorways merge (three if you count the M45), there are always queues approaching the closure.
IndigoJo:
There was a lane out on the A43 last night but it didn’t cause any delay. The night before I came down the A42, M42 & M40 and all the lane closures on that route caused hardly any delays at all, apart from having to slow down to 40mph through the lane closure on the M42. Yet, because the M1 is so busy because it’s the shortest route to London from most of the Midlands, and because they close off three lanes out of four on a stretch of motorway which is just after where two motorways merge (three if you count the M45), there are always queues approaching the closure.
The increasing density of traffic on the M1 was certainly getting to be an issue even in 1980’s and 90’s.Especially after the introduction of limiters which meant running into even more traffic later in the mornings.
While my last job meant having to pick up and drop a trailer at Luton between Feltham and Dewsbury which effectively removed the option of using the M40 but often still used the A5 or even sometimes A1 to avoid the M1 in that case.But using the M40 etc via Staines would usually be my choice,for the East or West Midlands at least,over the M25 and M1 especially now with the M1 obviously being more about moving a lot of traffic slowly rather than getting from A to B.
Ironically I also used a similar type of conclusion to get to/from Dover a few weeks ago using A 25 and A 21 and via Rye and Folkestone.Far better than getting involved with the mess of the M25 and M20.
The losing 30 minutes between Coalville and Surrey isn’t that much and I’d say most alternatives would put that on anyway with the only difference being that you might not be snarled in traffic. Presumably you still need to round by Heathrow?
