Is it just me or does anyone think that traffic flow hasnt improved and congestion reduced since the removal of the toll booths when approaching the tunnel,granted the bridge crossing is better but I’ve seen no improvement going the other way I always seem to be queuing from junction 3
I recon it’s got worse for some reason
Sat for over an hour in traffic on Thursday afternoon when they closed it a few times to let the tankers go through. The whole area gets clogged because people sit on the roundabouts.
Uncleskid:
Is it just me or does anyone think that traffic flow hasnt improved and congestion reduced since the removal of the toll booths when approaching the tunnel,granted the bridge crossing is better but I’ve seen no improvement going the other way I always seem to be queuing from junction 3
There are hardly ever delays on the bridge side. The northbound (tunnel) side is always congested because they close the west tunnel several times a day to ■■■■■■ tankers through. It’s rare that I get through northbound without at least some delay caused by that. They are talking about building another bridge or tunnel further east (with no indication as to how they’ll link it up to the M20, perhaps expecting traffic going that way to just use the existing road) when they could solve the congestion problem by building a second bridge at Dartford which they won’t have to close.
They (Highways Agency) also shut the left hand tunnel when the traffic backs up due to the roadworks being carried out at Junction 31/30.
They won’t let traffic stop inside the tunnel and close the barriers to hold the flow until the road is clear on the Essex side…
At peak times the barriers are closing every few minutes.
The result is traffic back to junction 4.
Almost every weekday during the school holidays it’s been the case.
If you think it’s bad going through once a day/week imagine the Tankers that may go through 3 times in a single shift.
Oh the joy.
fodentanker:
They (Highways Agency) also shut the left hand tunnel when the traffic backs up due to the roadworks being carried out at Junction 31/30.They won’t let traffic stop inside the tunnel and close the barriers to hold the flow until the road is clear on the Essex side…
At peak times the barriers are closing every few minutes.
The result is traffic back to junction 4.
Almost every weekday during the school holidays it’s been the case.
If you think it’s bad going through once a day/week imagine the Tankers that may go through 3 times in a single shift.
Oh the joy.
I feel your pain brother
The only way to ease the queues is to stop you coming of at junction 31 and 30 from the tall tunnel the right one.So that would mean building a barrier from the tunnel to after junction30.Which would mean tall lorry’s going to junctin29 if they wanted to come of at junction 31 or 30.They would also have to rename the part between junction 30 and29 the 282 has learners would not be aloud on that part of the road.
It’s due to some incompetent drivers, and some incompetent staff. Some drivers can’t follow the signs, resulting in red lights and extraction. Then the incompetent staff don’t convey to the extraction spotters when they send non ■■■■■■ vehicles back round. My friend got pulled out 3 times once. The worse thing they’ve done is removing the converging lane. It’s causing jams on the roundabout at 1a all the time. Put all this together, and the stop starting is the reason the queues form very quickly. Jams only happen when the traffic stops (obviously) and the removal of the tolls has proved this with the bridge, which normally runs well. Unfortunately they keep stopping the traffic at the tunnel 
The whole area is just horrendous at the moment. I hate going through it after about 6.30am, and if I have to leave at 1a it’s a joke.
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fodentanker:
They won’t let traffic stop inside the tunnel and close the barriers to hold the flow until the road is clear on the Essex side…
…and that’s where the problems are. Understandable that they don’t let traffic stop in the tunnel, so when it’s very busy there will always be problems because of the traffic lights at the J31 roundabout. The only solution would be to completely remodel J31 so that traffic northbound through the tunnel is never restricted if leaving for the A13. Very difficult to achieve I would imagine.
Who’s stupid idea was it to have roadworks J31-J30 AND close the A13 eastbound AND close the M25 entrance slip onto the M11 - all on the same damned night sometimes?
The Highways Agency is about the only ‘agency’ that lives up to expectations - ie ALL drivers hate it. 
Born Idle:
fodentanker:
They won’t let traffic stop inside the tunnel and close the barriers to hold the flow until the road is clear on the Essex side……and that’s where the problems are. Understandable that they don’t let traffic stop in the tunnel, so when it’s very busy there will always be problems because of the traffic lights at the J31 roundabout. The only solution would be to completely remodel J31 so that traffic northbound through the tunnel is never restricted if leaving for the A13. Very difficult to achieve I would imagine.
Over the past few weeks, the tipping off of traffic at J31 just after leaving the tunnel has been facilitated by closing down the right hand lane in the left hand tunnel. The higher right hand tunnel seems to be closed down a lot more often than the left hand one for some unknown reason.
Problem is, you have car drivers going along on the right hand lane of the tunnel, completely ignoring the Rex ‘X’ above, and then trying to barge in on the cone-in coming out the other end. This causes the trucks in the left lane to keep on checking up in the tunnel itself, making for more pollution, slower traversal, and is generally a pain in the arse.
I DO wish the laws would actually get enforced! “Drive under a red ‘x’ means you get ANPR-photographed, and fined £90. Failure to pay within 7 days makes it £240 plus three points”
The same could be done for anyone photographed (APNR pic again) using their phone at the wheel, where it is clearly visible in the photograph.