The A2 - getting busier?
Discussion
Every morning I commute along the A2, from the M2 to the M25.
I cannot remember the last time I was able to do this 13 mile stretch without having to come to a complete halt at least once in the journey. It's absolutely crazy. It's a dual carriageway that's bigger than most motorways (4 lanes for the whole of this stretch), yet it's absolutely rammed every single morning.
Does anyone else use this part of the road at this time, and have you experienced it getting worse over the last few months? I know it will always be a busy road, but it always used to be just slow and busy (40-50MPH), whereas it seems more and more often that I'm actually forced to stop-start for long periods.
Not really much point to the thread, just makes me annoyed that a 4-lane carriageway is still not enough to allow free-flowing traffic. I don't know if it's just getting busier (it's noticeably worse around each of the three Gravesend junctions, where people are joining), or people just can't drive (lots of people sitting in lane 2 at 60MPH with lane 1 clear, or dabbing their brakes because at the bottom of Swanscombe cutting because they cant manage going around a corner and up a hill at the same time).
Bah. Grumble grumble, etc.
I cannot remember the last time I was able to do this 13 mile stretch without having to come to a complete halt at least once in the journey. It's absolutely crazy. It's a dual carriageway that's bigger than most motorways (4 lanes for the whole of this stretch), yet it's absolutely rammed every single morning.
Does anyone else use this part of the road at this time, and have you experienced it getting worse over the last few months? I know it will always be a busy road, but it always used to be just slow and busy (40-50MPH), whereas it seems more and more often that I'm actually forced to stop-start for long periods.
Not really much point to the thread, just makes me annoyed that a 4-lane carriageway is still not enough to allow free-flowing traffic. I don't know if it's just getting busier (it's noticeably worse around each of the three Gravesend junctions, where people are joining), or people just can't drive (lots of people sitting in lane 2 at 60MPH with lane 1 clear, or dabbing their brakes because at the bottom of Swanscombe cutting because they cant manage going around a corner and up a hill at the same time).
Bah. Grumble grumble, etc.
I think it's absolute madness what they did, moving the A2 from one side of the Tollgate to the other and then removing the old, only just resurfaced A2.
Why didn't they build the new road as they did but make that an extension to the M2 all the way to pepper hill and keep the old A2 from pepper hill for Gravesnd and Grain traffic? It's only going to get worse with all the new homes being built.
Why didn't they build the new road as they did but make that an extension to the M2 all the way to pepper hill and keep the old A2 from pepper hill for Gravesnd and Grain traffic? It's only going to get worse with all the new homes being built.
Definitely a dramatic increase, I do remember it was always very busy in its last few years of dual carriageway as the "old A2" Gravesend stretch and it is now equally if not more busy even as a three lane road. It's almost always partially stationary in the mornings London bound, and absolutely packed, but at least flowing in the evenings.
I agree that it is getting much busier, from very early morning onwards. I commute into central London by bike on a regular basis and have done so for the past ten years or so and have really noticed the increased commute time over the past few months.
It is only going to get worse with the increase in "safety cameras" and all the new hoses being built that feed traffic onto it.
It is only going to get worse with the increase in "safety cameras" and all the new hoses being built that feed traffic onto it.
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