Dartford toll free-flow system...(and increased payments)

Dartford toll free-flow system...(and increased payments)

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Discussion

Sticks.

8,707 posts

250 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
Yes, I avoid the going the Heathrow way if at all possible. Thanks, I'd wondered which way was quickest avoiding the flyover. I'd probably have guessed A206 but that's worse I suspect.

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
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Sticks. said:
Yes, I avoid the going the Heathrow way if at all possible. Thanks, I'd wondered which way was quickest avoiding the flyover. I'd probably have guessed A206 but that's worse I suspect.
I think A206 is the route I am suggesting smile off at Bean, down to Greenhithe and along the bottom then up past Hilton.

I'm normally in by 8:30 so happy to update on how its looking in the AM

Sticks.

8,707 posts

250 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
Got it now, yes - thought you meant A296. I might do that, thanks.

I don't miss commuting by car I must say.

Cheers, much appreciated. Nick


anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
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Sticks. said:
Got it now, yes - thought you meant A296. I might do that, thanks.

I don't miss commuting by car I must say.

Cheers, much appreciated. Nick
frown from my mate at work

'M25 and A2 are fked, A2 back to Pepperhill already'

Humpy D

606 posts

194 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
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Sticks, you haven't picked a good morning to travel from Kent into Essex!!

Accident around the tunnel early this morning has caused chaos (as usual).

It was bad yet again last night caused to a degree by a broken down closing one lane. But when I got near to the tunnels around 6.15 I noticed that the traffic lights were changing to red every few minutes for about 20 seconds at a time. Surely not long enough to recover a broken down in the tunnel and there was no sign of congestion in the tunnel (you can usually tell there's congestion especially if the traffic is bad around junctions 31 and 30, which it wasn't. Well no worse than usual.)

Another thing, why do lorries over 4.8m now have to go through the right hand tunnel? I presume it's because the left hand tunnel isn't as high as the right one but before all the changes all lorries went through the left hand tunnel without issue.

Sticks.

8,707 posts

250 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
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Thanks both, I saw that on the traffic news and wasn't looking forward to it.

I used Keyser's suggestion and it worked very well. At 9.20, the B255 past Bluewater was clear, the A206 almost deserted, right until the very last roundabout, which you'd expect. My nav extended my ETA by less than 15 mins, which is much better than if I'd gone the flyover route, and I arrived in good time. I'd choose that way again.

So thanks very much, your input made the day a whole lot better, cheers clap Pity about the gatso van in Elstree about a mile to go. bks.

On the way back a Crossing Patrol Landrover was holding everybody back. I don't know why, everything was clear when I got there, but it was still better than it used to be.

I don't know how you put up with it every day. Have to I guess.

Thanks.


s p a c e m a n

10,752 posts

147 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
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Humpy D said:
Another thing, why do lorries over 4.8m now have to go through the right hand tunnel? I presume it's because the left hand tunnel isn't as high as the right one but before all the changes all lorries went through the left hand tunnel without issue.
No they didn't, they've always had to go through the right hand bore, the signage was good though and most of them did it without issue. They had height sensors at the pay booths and always stopped you regardless of whether you was over to the right or not to tell you that you needed to go through the right hand bore, if you were over in the left hand lanes they'd hold all the booths for a minute and let you through on your own to cross over to the other tunnel.

There's a lot of hold ups because idiots keep trying to go through with their hazmat boards on display even though they're not carrying anything, they get picked up by the cameras and then they try to filter them over into the convoy area using the barriers and lights. I've sat there for 10 minutes watching the 1st lights go green to let one vehicle through, then they go red to stop the next, then the 2nd light goes green to let them through the tunnel, then red. Then the 1st light goes green to let the next one through.. repeat until they get to the muppet who left the orange hazmat board up on their motor because they're too lazy to take it off rolleyes

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
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Sticks. said:
Thanks both, I saw that on the traffic news and wasn't looking forward to it.

I used Keyser's suggestion and it worked very well. At 9.20, the B255 past Bluewater was clear, the A206 almost deserted, right until the very last roundabout, which you'd expect. My nav extended my ETA by less than 15 mins, which is much better than if I'd gone the flyover route, and I arrived in good time. I'd choose that way again.

So thanks very much, your input made the day a whole lot better, cheers clap Pity about the gatso van in Elstree about a mile to go. bks.

On the way back a Crossing Patrol Landrover was holding everybody back. I don't know why, everything was clear when I got there, but it was still better than it used to be.

I don't know how you put up with it every day. Have to I guess.

Thanks.
Glad it worked for you, you were lucky with the timing, at 9am that queue was from the top roundabout back to the Costa one.

It's been dire every day this week, combo of clocks going back and a mild mist. Happily living in Kent we have a few options of getting out but when it's bad it's chaos, annoyingly Bluewater will start their Xmas stuff soon and then that side is chaos every day

xyyman

1,075 posts

224 months

Saturday 7th November 2015
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Used it Wednesday this week for the first time since the removal of the toll booths. It was quite straightforward to pre pay my return toll online, although at £5 somewhat expensive. Heading North around 10.00 in the morning there was around a mile or more tailback but at least it kept moving, albeit at walking pace. Heading south later on at around 14.00 was a lot better with no tailback just slow moving traffic. Had to go to the same place again yesterday, Enfield, but decided to go clockwise around the M25 saved about half an hour in journey time each way. In both cases it was Uckfield to Enfield return. A few more miles but quicker and still cheaper than the toll. I do feel sorry for those of you that have to use it on a daily commute at peak times.

grumpy52

5,565 posts

165 months

Saturday 14th November 2015
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All the new technology in place? , sensors and cameras ?, try spotters sat in a double decker bus parked in the control area .
Add this to multiple junctions approaching the northbound side , all traffic attempting to get in the appropriate lane and controllers that throw red lights at the drop of a hat , fewer lanes and confusing road markings ,off camber chicane turns with lanes merging .
Whoever designed the road layout needs flogging .
The local residents are up in arms at the day long congestion which will only get worse as the huge Bridge housing development progresses (about 6 or 7 thousand extra vehicle movements per day )

Humpy D

606 posts

194 months

Monday 7th December 2015
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Just a bit of a 'bump' for this thread and to ask anybody who has to put up with this crock of s***e on a daily basis to ensure they have signed the petition on the Parliament website. Link below:-

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/105868

Less than 800 signatures from the Government responding to the petition and whilst they will almost certainly say "it's a work in progress" at least they have to say something.

Thanks.

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 8th December 2015
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Avoid like the plague today, 15:30 and Anti Clockwise it appears to be queuing from 3 already. Going to be a stter

Happily I have 4 weeks left in this job and I won't have to deal with it daily anymore

Havoc856

2,072 posts

178 months

Tuesday 8th December 2015
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Signed, i only have to run through it en route home to see family in Kent.. But it ALWAYS adds 45mins on minimum - doesn't seem to have improved flow at all.

Digby

Original Poster:

8,230 posts

245 months

Tuesday 26th January 2016
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greygoose

8,224 posts

194 months

Tuesday 26th January 2016
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I hope they start building soon rather than endless reports and lack of action.

Conscript

1,378 posts

120 months

Tuesday 26th January 2016
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Digby said:
I'm in two minds about this. Glad that a new crossing is on the table, and a tunnel rather than a bridge. However looking at the plans, the preferred option is to link up directly with the end of the M2 at J1. I use this junction every morning and it's always heavily congested, from there all the way along the A2 top the M25. I hope this won't be compounded by extra traffic trying to cross the river at the new crossing.

Also, it's going to mean cutting a new link road straight through some lovely countryside around Shorne. Progress is good, but I hope it won't be at the expense of making the area too developed....selfishly driven I admit, as I live locally smile

The Don of Croy

5,975 posts

158 months

Wednesday 27th January 2016
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Digby said:
Great comment from that article;

[i]Billy Nomates wrote:
They're showing the new road passing between the Ockendens. That's dangerous territory - It'll be like the Pod Racing in Star Wars Ep 1 when the sandpeople were taking pot shots at the passing racers.[/i]

This will be ready for traffic when? 2026 onwards? Will it miss the new airport...

Humpy D

606 posts

194 months

Wednesday 27th January 2016
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Anyone know why the traffic is so bad today?

Since Christmas the anti-clockwise queue in the evening hasn't been too bad but today the queues haven't eased since the usual queue this morning. Can't see any signs of accidents on anything.

chevy55

8,248 posts

235 months

Wednesday 27th January 2016
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According to the local rag there's a broken down lorry that can't be moved.

Humpy D

606 posts

194 months

Thursday 28th January 2016
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Thanks for that although I think that happened on the M25 yesterday afternoon between junction 3 and 2. Whilst this didn't help something on the A13 (I suspect) has happened in the last 2 days as the queues have been significantly worse all round.