I think to myself sweet. A nice short run. Yea, it is in a double decker but ah well.
I do my drop… come back up at around 00:30am… no signs on the A2 that the right hand tunnel is closed… So join the M25 well the right hand tunnel is closed. lol. So, I turn around for a good place to stop to figure out what to do. I stop at Clacket lane.
the map is some indication of how ■■■■■■ the M25. it doesn’t show the M25 is shut between J7/J8. but I tried going around the M25 the long way round. at j7 the diversion was north up the A23 turn around then back down past the M25 into Redhill / Reigate area. I believe the diversion was going to the A25 to join the A24 and back to the M25.
I had a think… I thought there was a good chance I had at least 2 more diversions to deal with. Decided to go back to clacket lane and wait until 5am for the right hand tunnel to open lol.
Maybe I could of gotten back an hour or two earlier the long way… but I am not that confident of diversions when it comes to pulling a D/D unless I know the roads very well.
and that is my small boring story.
p.s the map I showing actually shows more closures / accidents / issues lol when zoomed it… I swear M25 at night is so bad lol.
drover:
It’s beyond a joke that so many road closures are tolerated to be honest, it makes a mockery of the ulez [zb] of cutting emissions doesn’t it.
Agree. Why the x cant they just shut one carriageway and we go ‘wrong lane working’ at say 40mph or 30mph if necessary God knows.
The only time a M-way should be shut is a bridge replacement or accident where it is either over both carriageways or emergency services need to use the non accident lanes for access.
Now if we had two trade associations that were any good instead of the old boys club the Rehashing History Association or Logistics Fkd Up (or whatever they want to be called this year) we might have some semblance of a road network at night.
Sand Fisher:
Why the x cant they just shut one carriageway and we go ‘wrong lane working’ at say 40mph or 30mph if necessary God knows.
Which is…
What we used to do. My money is on some H&S directive saying it’s too dangerous. Far more convenient for the contractor to close the whole thing and not have to worry about liability.
Boss Hogg would know, he’s the font of all m’way knowledge.
It feels like this country is breaking down. Last night the bridge was down to one lane. I started queuing between J30 and 31 at 12:40am, and it took 1hr 40min to reach the cones!! That’s about 1.5 miles. The stop start stop start used up driving time, so had to have another 45 min break to get home. Got back with 10 mins to spare on a 15 hour.
It was all for some bloke checking something on the bridge. Could’ve shut 2 lanes and not 3.
It’s the lack of a cohesive plan that annoys me. I get clobbered with night closures a lot but as I start at 1am they’re normally well established and diversion traffic is generally free flowing.
But what gets me is there seems to be no joined up thinking as in they’ll close a road, then they’ll close a diversion route at tge same time and spring something else on us all. It’s like why not just do one then when that is finished move onto the next one? Obviously get it if it’s safety critical stuff but more often it’s just routine stuff I see.
That map looks as if there’d be no closures going clockwise (although I know you said it was between j7-j8). There looks to be a few slip road closures around heathrow which wouldn’t affect you. The road closures look as if they’re anti clockwise between j11-j10 ish, and j28-27 ish. Looking at that map I think I’d have gone the long way round, just because sitting it out would’ve been the more frustrating option for me.
If there were more closures going clockwise, I’d have pulled over in Clackett Lane and scrutinised the diversion routes with Google maps and a trucker’s atlas to assess the routes.
adam277:
So what would you guys do in that situation?
tldr; your at dartford tunnel, the right hand tunnel is closed and your pulling a D/D and its about 1am. it reopens at 5:30am.
1 - take the long way round and deal with multiple diversions / road closures
2 - wait it out.
Depends on how many extra miles you put on by going round the bottom instead. In the original post Snodland back to Thurrock = 24 miles short way or 121 long way. Just shy of 100 miles probably cost £50 minimum in fuel and probably more if a DD and/or loaded. Phone the office see what they want me to do.
ezydriver:
It feels like this country is breaking down. Last night the bridge was down to one lane. I started queuing between J30 and 31 at 12:40am, and it took 1hr 40min to reach the cones!! That’s about 1.5 miles. The stop start stop start used up driving time, so had to have another 45 min break to get home. Got back with 10 mins to spare on a 15 hour.
It was all for some bloke checking something on the bridge. Could’ve shut 2 lanes and not 3.
Breaking down? It’s a total basket case at this stage, stretching far beyond roads. It’s actually embarrassing how shambolic everything is
adam277:
So what would you guys do in that situation?
tldr; your at dartford tunnel, the right hand tunnel is closed and your pulling a D/D and its about 1am. it reopens at 5:30am.
1 - take the long way round and deal with multiple diversions / road closures
2 - wait it out.
Depends on how many extra miles you put on by going round the bottom instead. In the original post Snodland back to Thurrock = 24 miles short way or 121 long way. Just shy of 100 miles probably cost £50 minimum in fuel and probably more if a DD and/or loaded. Phone the office see what they want me to do.
This. As I say on Driver CPC courses the way I carried on during my driving career was with the belief I’m not paid to make decisions or worry about problems, that’s for others and I got on very well indeed on the whole in my relationships with companies
switchlogic:
Breaking down? It’s a total basket case at this stage, stretching far beyond roads. It’s actually embarrassing how shambolic everything is
There’s a quite basic and simple explanation for this; it’s because of the obsession of placing graduates in management roles instead of promoting from within!
The current crop of middle management seem to curl their lips at the mere thought of a shop floor worker joining their elite club.
switchlogic:
Breaking down? It’s a total basket case at this stage, stretching far beyond roads. It’s actually embarrassing how shambolic everything is
There’s a quite basic and simple explanation for this; it’s because of the obsession of placing graduates in management roles instead of promoting from within!
The current crop of middle management seem to curl their lips at the mere thought of a shop floor worker joining their elite club.
Also ,on the way to the tunnel on the m25 clockwise,there’s a huge pot hole,it nearly threw me out of the seat.You dont notice it because youre looking at all the traffic signs,50mph and everything
Sploom:
Also ,on the way to the tunnel on the m25 clockwise,there’s a huge pot hole,it nearly threw me out of the seat.You dont notice it because youre looking at all the traffic signs,50mph and everything
