M25 advice for Monday morning

[Lucas CAV]

Bringing a heavy machine (so 55mph vmax) down from the West Midlands - last minute job unfortunately.
Which way around the M25 is "best" in the mornings?

I will be leaving the West Mid at around 6.30am (can't leave earlier) and have to be in Thamesmead (so J1a? A206)

So -- is it less painful to go M40 then around the top of the M25 and over the Dartford crossing?
Or around the bottom of the M25?

Or even, M6, M1 then around the top?

Thanks in advance!

[Techno9000]

My belief is the West - South Western part is often the most congested. For your journey I'd be planning to go over the Dartford crossing but would check conditions on the day.

[Mack42]

Hi, I would generally go around the the top but as you will be hitting the M25 around 8 30 its going to be busy no matter which way you go. There is a 50mph limit in place from 23-27 due to road works but that would still be my choice.

[Earthdweller]

Where in the midlands?

Is A1/A14/M11 doable for you?

[Lucas CAV]

Earthdweller said:

Where in the midlands?

Is A1/A14/M11 doable for you?

Central Brum

[cossy400]

Lucas CAV said:

Earthdweller said:

Where in the midlands?

Is A1/A14/M11 doable for you?

Central Brum[/quot

Do this you ll miss the road works M1 and M25 and its only normally a bit sticky where the A14 meets the M11

[Earthdweller]

cossy400 said:

Lucas CAV said:

Earthdweller said:

Where in the midlands?

Is A1/A14/M11 doable for you?

Central Brum[/quot

Do this you ll miss the road works M1 and M25 and its only normally a bit sticky where the A14 meets the M11

I lived in east London/Essex for a number of years it was my preferred route missing the M1 and M40 plus the carnage across the top of the M25

It'll always be busy heading towards the Dartford Crossing though

[s p a c e m a n]

Essex tanker driver here, do a lot of rugby runs...

I'd do M6 A14 M11 and over the bridge. There's roadworks at potters bar that are always crap at the moment, going south side there's roadworks at j10 and clackets. If you come down the M11 you've only got to deal with the Brentwood j28 roadworks but you only have Cambridge and birchanger services for breaks.

The only upside to going anticlockwise around the south side of the M25 in the morning is that it always seems to have lighter traffic to the clockwise side, more people seem to head towards Heathrow than away from it.

Edited by s p a c e m a n on Sunday 29th September 19:04

[aeropilot]

Lucas CAV said:

Bringing a heavy machine (so 55mph vmax) down from the West Midlands - last minute job unfortunately.
Which way around the M25 is "best" in the mornings?

I will be leaving the West Mid at around 6.30am (can't leave earlier) and have to be in Thamesmead (so J1a? A206)

So -- is it less painful to go M40 then around the top of the M25 and over the Dartford crossing?
Or around the bottom of the M25?

Or even, M6, M1 then around the top?

The latter.
M6, M1 and then around the top and over the bridge...or the A14, M11 route as above.

Traffic in the western section north and south of Heathrow is bad, and even worse, is the roadworks at J10 at the A3/M25 junction, so definitely go north, and thus don't bother with the M40 to go northern route.

[Vasco]

Go over the top and Dartford Crossing. Avoid the Heathrow western side.

[Lucas CAV]

Sounding very much like M6, A14, M11 will be least trauma. A big change from machinery into the Welsh hills!

M1 has a long 50mph stretch of roadworks iirc? meaning cars will be going at about 45...

[Lucas CAV]

s p a c e m a n said:

Essex tanker driver here, do a lot of rugby runs...

I'd do M6 A14 M11 and over the bridge. There's roadworks at potters bar that are always crap at the moment, going south side there's roadworks at j10 and clackets. If you come down the M11 you've only got to deal with the Brentwood j28 roadworks but you only have Cambridge and birchanger services for breaks.

The only upside to going anticlockwise around the south side of the M25 in the morning is that it always seems to have lighter traffic to the clockwise side, more people seem to head towards Heathrow than away from it.

Edited by s p a c e m a n on Sunday 29th September 19:04

Cheers
Will probably take 45 at Birchanger - will hopefully then get to Erith and back again within a 4.5!

[fourstardan]

No idea what ways best but don't jack knife or you'll be getting pelters on here lol

[samoht]

I concur with the general sentiment that Heathrow is the slowest bit of the M25 as a general rule. Also Dartford is less bad now that everyone doesn't have to come to a halt to throw a quid in the bucket.

However I'd definitely check on e.g. google maps in the morning before departure (and perhaps en route), as it's always possible for there to be an incident on the specific route you're planning to take.

[Dan_The_Man]

Just have WAZE running and decide as you hit the M25, it varies so much day to day.

[Smint]

M11 is likely to be the best route down, Kettering A14 area has seen its fair share of issues recently and there will definately be some congestion at the various Cambridge junctions but compared to the alternatives its still the best bet, the M1 is becoming a no go zone even though the roadworks between 10 and 12 (or is the junction just south of Toddington numbered 11a?) have finished, the aforementioned M25 Potters bar section currently suffering roadworks is rough as a badger's back side anyway.

Hopefully if you manage to get tipped by lunch time the Western route back via M40 will be reasonable.

[ridds]

Lucas CAV said:

Bringing a heavy machine (so 55mph vmax) down from the West Midlands - last minute job unfortunately.
Which way around the M25 is "best" in the mornings?

I will be leaving the West Mid at around 6.30am (can't leave earlier) and have to be in Thamesmead (so J1a? A206)

So -- is it less painful to go M40 then around the top of the M25 and over the Dartford crossing?
Or around the bottom of the M25?

Or even, M6, M1 then around the top?

Thanks in advance!

Tough one this.

M40 is rubbish at A34 Junction
M25 is rubbish M40 to M1 currently

Last time I used it the M6 was alright once the new interchange at Rugby was finished.
M1 has been rubbish at the bottom recently due to the new central reservation concrete barrier installation recently but 30% of this has been finished.
M1 around both Northampton junctions can be slow though.

Not sure I could face the A14 in a large vehicle.


I definitely wouldn't go ACW for 1a from either the M40 or M1.

[Lucas CAV]

Smint said:

M11 is likely to be the best route down, Kettering A14 area has seen its fair share of issues recently and there will definately be some congestion at the various Cambridge junctions but compared to the alternatives its still the best bet, the M1 is becoming a no go zone even though the roadworks between 10 and 12 (or is the junction just south of Toddington numbered 11a?) have finished, the aforementioned M25 Potters bar section currently suffering roadworks is rough as a badger's back side anyway.

Hopefully if you manage to get tipped by lunch time the Western route back via M40 will be reasonable.

cheers -

tipped by lunchtime will be good but nothing's certain in this job!

TBH - I suspect I shall run out of hours before hitting my bit of Birmingham so coming back along the A14 does offer a number of laybys for stopping over in

[Lucas CAV]

ridds said:

Lucas CAV said:

Bringing a heavy machine (so 55mph vmax) down from the West Midlands - last minute job unfortunately.
Which way around the M25 is "best" in the mornings?

I will be leaving the West Mid at around 6.30am (can't leave earlier) and have to be in Thamesmead (so J1a? A206)

So -- is it less painful to go M40 then around the top of the M25 and over the Dartford crossing?
Or around the bottom of the M25?

Or even, M6, M1 then around the top?

Thanks in advance!

Not sure I could face the A14 in a large vehicle.

.

adaptive cruise ftw

[spikeyhead]

The A14 generally keeps going at 56mph, the only grief is in the two lane sections if you want to make progress in a car and the trucks are overtaking each other.

That and getting from the A14 to the M11 is always a bit of a crawl.