M25 road works 16 - 18 traffic conditions?

[TVR-NUT]

Hi all. I was wondering if anybody who regularly travels on the M25 between the above junctions, going clockwise, could tell me what the traffic conditions are like on a Friday evening? Are there regularly big tail backs before junction 16? Not sure what time I will be there, but it will most likely be any time from the middle to the end of rush hour. I am coming up from Kent and will be turning off at junction 16 to join the M40 heading northbound.

[007singh]

I do this route round the M25 clockwise from J11 to the M1. Fridays are always busy - traffic around the M3, M4 junctions is heavy, but it opens up eventually. Going to the M40 is not too bad since the roadworks have moved back from the M40 junction to around J18, so its only 50mph average speed from J18 onwards.

It really just depends on what time you will hit the M25. We try to avoid it between 4.30pm - 7pm. Leaving during this time just tends to mean that you hit the busiest time slot. If it keeps moving its still not too bad, but if it grinds to a halt, it can be a real pain.

Hope that helps a little.

[Chris71]

Hasn't it moved a little further round now, so it's now 18-21 or something?

Went through there twice over the weekend and it was fine, but that wasn't entirely representative of normal conditions (8am in the morning and later during the World Cup final...)

[Vlad the Imp]

I have the misfortune to do the journey from Kent to the M3 on a Friday afternoon regularly. Even leaving Maidstone at 3pm it's a crap journey at the moment, lots of holiday traffic, 1hr delay is normal. I'd suggest that Kent to M40 on Friday you can expect a 2hr delay, best avoided!

[TVR-NUT]

Thanks for the help and advice. Seems like traffic conditions will be as I thought. Probably will be leaving Dover at around 4pm ish, so it looks like I may end up catching some of the traffic Is there any way of avoiding it, apart from leaving later?

[007singh]

You can avoid it by not travelling

I am not sure there is any real way to avoid it. Other routes on minor roads will also have traffic at that time, and will be slower anyway - so I doubt you can find a route that will really save you a lot of time.

The biggest issues is just journey time to avoid traffic I think.

[TVR-NUT]

Yeah that's what I was thinking about other roads as well. Looks like I will just have to grin and bear it then, as I want to be out of Dover by 4:45pm at the very latest. Thanks for your help anyway.