OT - the M25 tomorrow

[Aadam]

For my sins I need to get to the M1 tomorrow. For that I have to use the M25. Tomorrow being the opening day of the Olympics I'm worried I will be stuck in a massive amount of traffic. I cannot decide which way around the M25 is likely to be better?

Do I take clock-wise and hope the M4 into London doesn't have a knock-on affect on the M25. Or do I take the anti clock-wise route and hope the Dartford crossing is clearer?

Help

 

[Arthur]

 

[Deleted member 18477]

Clockwise. Further away from east London.

Anti clockwise. Nearer east London.

M25... Usually better anti clockwise in the mornings though...

 

[mikeyjh]

For my sins I need to get to the M1 tomorrow. For that I have to use the M25. Tomorrow being the opening day of the Olympics I'm worried I will be stuck in a massive amount of traffic. I cannot decide which way around the M25 is likely to be better?

Do I take clock-wise and hope the M4 into London doesn't have a knock-on affect on the M25. Or do I take the anti clock-wise route and hope the Dartford crossing is clearer?

Help

Me too - Play it be ear is my normal approach when heading home, it's only worth the Dartford route if there's significant delays via Heathrow.

PS. Was carnage on the M25 when coming back to Shoreham after Christmas, went 'Route 1' straight across London, never ever try that....

 

[Titanic]

The Opening Ceremony is only 80,000 people... and many of those will already be in central London... I don't think it will be any worse than a typical Friday on the M25.. which is pretty shocking!

 

[Easy 10]

Before setting off, AA Roadwatch is your friend

Traffic News: Live from AA Roadwatch - The AA

Live updates. Avoid the nasty red bits if you can.

[edit]

Blimey, looks like the Falmer Road is STUFFED going past the Amex. Wonder whats happened there.

 

[FamilyGuy]

use this before you set off ...

Road Traffic Reports, Travel Information and Traffic News

 

[Aadam]

Thanks guys. I will check those out just before I'm setting off. Going to leave at about 10am so should be up around the M25 between 11-12. My car usually tells me when there's traffic and finds me a suitable route around it, via the TMC thing but in England it's pretty shocking and always tells me when I'm already in it.

I'm thinking clock-wise might be the better way around.

 

[Aadam]

Looks like I will have a fast drive up the M1 then...

 

[LadySeagull]

We did that route back from Shottingham yesterday...and managed to MISS the M25 signs at the end! Not just me, none of us saw them, maybe due to stupid number of double lanes of lorries that I was ovetaking...

Anyway instead we had a bit of a crawl through Wembley (saw the stadium and Twickenham too) and also went in an Olympic Lane - at a time when you are allowed to, I hasten to add.

Apparently the M25 was at a standstill in places so maybe we did the right thing by mistake!

 

[Badger]

Straight through the middle of London, shortest route

 

[Lankyseagull]

Had a meeting in St.Albans yesterday.

M25 both there and back was a nightmare! Not sure what the problem was either way - no signs for accidents, so just put it down to weight of traffic.

Journey back was a crawl from Heathrow to the M23, left St.Albans at 2.30, got back to Uckfield at 5:30.

Not nice in that heat with no air-con!

 

[Barry Izbak]

I just drove back to God's own county from Leicester. At the M1/M25 sat nav said there were 55 minute delays western section and 45 minute delays at the Dartford Daylight Robbery Queue.

I opted for Eastbound, then satnav took me down the M11, round the North Circular, right through Newham, past The Hammers pub, down the Blackwall tunnel and away. Smooth as you like. No sign of a problem at all.
If it wasn't for the Union Flags everywhere and wall to wall Olympics on LBC you would have had trouble there was anything going on up the old east end at all.

 

[Aadam]

We did that route back from Shottingham yesterday...and managed to MISS the M25 signs at the end! Not just me, none of us saw them, maybe due to stupid number of double lanes of lorries that I was ovetaking...

Anyway instead we had a bit of a crawl through Wembley (saw the stadium and Twickenham too) and also went in an Olympic Lane - at a time when you are allowed to, I hasten to add.

Apparently the M25 was at a standstill in places so maybe we did the right thing by mistake!

I've done that before. Saw signs for wembley and realised I must be in London.

Well, M25 was fine, however, M1 had an overturned lorry, and subsequently shut. Took me 10 hours to get up to Yorkshire. Double the time. What an ass of a drive. Missed the birthday meal I drove up here for, too.