Severn crossing tomorrow rush hour

[A900ss]

The gods have dealt bad dice and I need to go to Wales crossing the bridge around 5/5.30pm on a bank holiday weekend.

Are the queues at the old crossing shorter than the new crossing or is it much of a muchness? Anyone have any experience of how much time I'll be queueing for?

Thanks

[PoshTwit]

I'm always heading the other way (thankfully) but the old bridge queues always seem a little shorter. I would suggest staying off the motorway too once in.

Over the bridge, off at Chepstow, down the A48 toward Newport, and then potentially cross-country if you know the way as it seems to be non-stop queue from bridge to the Brynglas Tunnels.

Add in a sunny bank holiday in school break and I most certainly do not envy you!!

[A900ss]

And I'm going west, west, west to the coast.

Actually, I am lying a bit.

I'm getting my wife to take the dog and kids in the 520d over the bridge.

I'm taking the TVR through the Brecon Beacons to Cardigan and will meet them there.

Hey ho.

[hornetrider]

^^ Good darts!

From a local - old bridge every time. And use the coin lane as its usually shorter (you can use card).

Echo above advice re tunnels as it will be horrendous. Could possibly try M48, A48 from Chepstow to Coldra, then round the south side of Newport on the distributor ring road.

[Seesure]

hornetrider said:

And use the coin lane as its usually shorter (you can use card).

I've found recently that the "Coin Bin" lane seems to move slower that the manned booths if the queues are of equal lengths... because of bloody credit cards!

What effing genius came up with the idea of putting a credit card slot / reader on the auto toll / coin bin lane!!!???

Last time I went over the preceding 5 drivers in that lane all used a credit card, which meant them wasting time looking in wallets and purses, then it was the wait while the receipt was retrieved and then the wait while the cards were safely put away again !!!

There are enough lanes on the Old Severn Bridge to have dedicated two or three of them for credit cards without impacting on the rest world who plan ahead and have the cash ready.....

Also watch out for the sightseers who sit in lane 2 at 50mph looking left and right as though they've never been on a bridge before... (why they don't go up to Aust to sight see I have no idea)

And finally watch out for stones etc being thrown up from the crumbling road service that seems to have been badly neglected in recent years... I've had two windscreens replaced in three years due to stones being thrown up on the bridge by other vehicles.....

Edited by Seesure on Friday 23 August 07:17

[miniman]

Unless they've changed it recently, the credit card process is retarded. I had to enter my PIN in a handheld machine handed out by the attendant and wait for a receipt.

French approach: card in, card out, go.

[cay]

The credit card machine on the new bridge has no PIN, card goes in the slot and comes out five seconds later, pretty much like every toll booth in France.

Much quicker than the lady in front who dropped half of her coins and then tried to gather them up ( but couldn't open her door against the booth ! )

[Glenred]

I popped over to the Celtic Manor last night for dinner, the bridge was fine at 17:30.

[GEARJAMMER]

I got a TAG and go through the wide load lane on the new bridge, don't think ive ever stopped, just slow for the barrier, TAG bleeps, barrier up and away you go.