Awful traffic this morning in Swanley. Some (minor) roadworks in the High Street were exacerbated by an accident on the M25. Had to take the youngest lad to Darent Valley hospital for a routine Diabetes clinic & got snarled up just trying to get onto the M25. Accident was clockwise & traffic was coming off at J3 & trying all different routes to get where they were going. Our route on the M25 going anti-clockwise towards the Tunnel was fine......it was getting onto the M25 which was the problem. Obviously couldn't go any other way as it meant being stuck in traffic to get through to Hextable or stuck on the roundabout to go via A20 / Hawley.
I swear traffic is getting worse.
Too much development going on in the south east, the infrastructure cannot cope.
Which definitely has an impact on ambulances and hospitals as discussed in the Covid thread. Whilst it appears that schools and shops are required when building new housing developments, there isn’t the same requirement for doctors surgeries or hospitals.
I despair everytime I travel to Kent and see the traffic around Gravesend and Dartford and particularly the A2...the amount of times I travel to dartford to pick my sister up for a family meal, and were late due to traffic is ridiculous.
would say 90% of Darford traffic problems are caused when the tunnel is slow and lorries take a short cut across the roundabout and block everything else coming on to it.Just somehow make this illegal.Put up ma no access to Dartford Crossing notice on the entry to the slip road of of the A2
Anyone else get caught up in that sh*t show on the way home last night?
The Roadworks fairy made my journey back to darkest Essex almost impossible last night. Got to the M25 and the slip to the tunnel from the roundabout was shut. Went up to the 1a roundabout and again the slip shut. No signs. No diversions. Decided to head back to Swanley on M25 and turn back on myself thinking the road would be open over the A2. Wrong! Shut there also. So no way to get to the Tunnel in any direction!!
Had to head back to Blackwell. Highways England are a f.ing joke!
Anyone else get caught up in that sh*t show on the way home last night?
The Roadworks fairy made my journey back to darkest Essex almost impossible last night. Got to the M25 and the slip to the tunnel from the roundabout was shut. Went up to the 1a roundabout and again the slip shut. No signs. No diversions. Decided to head back to Swanley on M25 and turn back on myself thinking the road would be open over the A2. Wrong! Shut there also. So no way to get to the Tunnel in any direction!!
Had to head back to Blackwell. Highways England are a f.ing joke!
Highways England surpassed themselves last night,together with your obvious problems,my 40 minute journey to Medway took 90 minutes,Falconwood lane closures,A2 shut,diversion signs just useless,finished up going down the old Gravesend road,only to hear that the M2 was shut as well,really pissed off time I got home.
Anyone else get caught up in that sh*t show on the way home last night?
The Roadworks fairy made my journey back to darkest Essex almost impossible last night. Got to the M25 and the slip to the tunnel from the roundabout was shut. Went up to the 1a roundabout and again the slip shut. No signs. No diversions. Decided to head back to Swanley on M25 and turn back on myself thinking the road would be open over the A2. Wrong! Shut there also. So no way to get to the Tunnel in any direction!!
Had to head back to Blackwell. Highways England are a f.ing joke!
Highways England surpassed themselves last night,together with your obvious problems,my 40 minute journey to Medway took 90 minutes,Falconwood lane closures,A2 shut,diversion signs just useless,finished up going down the old Gravesend road,only to hear that the M2 was shut as well,really pissed off time I got home.
A13 was just as bad when I got over. Diverted onto the North circular and couldn't get back on. Another round trip! As you say. Excelled themselves.
Anyone else get caught up in that sh*t show on the way home last night?
The Roadworks fairy made my journey back to darkest Essex almost impossible last night. Got to the M25 and the slip to the tunnel from the roundabout was shut. Went up to the 1a roundabout and again the slip shut. No signs. No diversions. Decided to head back to Swanley on M25 and turn back on myself thinking the road would be open over the A2. Wrong! Shut there also. So no way to get to the Tunnel in any direction!!
Had to head back to Blackwell. Highways England are a f.ing joke!
Highways England surpassed themselves last night,together with your obvious problems,my 40 minute journey to Medway took 90 minutes,Falconwood lane closures,A2 shut,diversion signs just useless,finished up going down the old Gravesend road,only to hear that the M2 was shut as well,really pissed off time I got home.
Dont even know what they're supposed to be doing on the A2 around Eltham / Falconwood
They had the lane closure from before the Eltham turn off when we played Accrington, yet looks like no work has actually been done - Now they've just shifted the lane closure down to the next bloody junction.
I had the same issue and turned right at the 1a roundabout trying to head towards bluewater and thought id get round the back to the bridge. Rounds were all shut around there too and I ended up back on the A2 going Kent bound. Off the Gravesend junction and back up the A2. This time left at the 1a junction and then I managed to find my way back across the M25 and ended up at the junction just before the tunnel which was accessible. Totally agree there were no diversion signs at all and no warning of closures on the a2.
Anyone else get caught up in that sh*t show on the way home last night?
The Roadworks fairy made my journey back to darkest Essex almost impossible last night. Got to the M25 and the slip to the tunnel from the roundabout was shut. Went up to the 1a roundabout and again the slip shut. No signs. No diversions. Decided to head back to Swanley on M25 and turn back on myself thinking the road would be open over the A2. Wrong! Shut there also. So no way to get to the Tunnel in any direction!!
Had to head back to Blackwell. Highways England are a f.ing joke!
Yes, they are a joke. And it was clearly chaos. But I got to the Dartford tunnel down the A206 to junction 1a. (My usual route). It was heaving but managed to get into the tunnel okay. I saw that the M25 southbound in Essex was also closed. They had graciously kept one lane open northbound. But made up for that by closing the A12 at Chelmsford.
Anyone else get caught up in that sh*t show on the way home last night?
The Roadworks fairy made my journey back to darkest Essex almost impossible last night. Got to the M25 and the slip to the tunnel from the roundabout was shut. Went up to the 1a roundabout and again the slip shut. No signs. No diversions. Decided to head back to Swanley on M25 and turn back on myself thinking the road would be open over the A2. Wrong! Shut there also. So no way to get to the Tunnel in any direction!!
Had to head back to Blackwell. Highways England are a f.ing joke!
Yes, they are a joke. And it was clearly chaos. But I got to the Dartford tunnel down the A206 to junction 1a. (My usual route). It was heaving but managed to get into the tunnel okay. I saw that the M25 southbound in Essex was also closed. They had graciously kept one lane open northbound. But made up for that by closing the A12 at Chelmsford.
French fishing boats were spotted under the QE2 bridge and on the River Chelmer so, as to not offend or disrupt them, the M25 and A12 were closed.
In complete contrast to you poor sods, I parked on the industrial estate by the Thames Barrier, after the game jogged to my car, went through Woolwich, out past Belmarsh, Thamesmead, Erith and Slade Green and was home in Dartford just shy of 20 mins - traffic was fine (I will admit I was barrelling it along Western Way and Eastern Way in the Thamesmead section)
For a night game, if you are going back to Essex via Dartford Tunnel, I recommend this route, as it is usually fine - lots of parking on the industrial estate as well, with no restrictions etc - you can join Dartford Tunnel at the Littlebrook junction (1a)
Anyone else get caught up in that sh*t show on the way home last night?
The Roadworks fairy made my journey back to darkest Essex almost impossible last night. Got to the M25 and the slip to the tunnel from the roundabout was shut. Went up to the 1a roundabout and again the slip shut. No signs. No diversions. Decided to head back to Swanley on M25 and turn back on myself thinking the road would be open over the A2. Wrong! Shut there also. So no way to get to the Tunnel in any direction!!
Had to head back to Blackwell. Highways England are a f.ing joke!
Highways England surpassed themselves last night,together with your obvious problems,my 40 minute journey to Medway took 90 minutes,Falconwood lane closures,A2 shut,diversion signs just useless,finished up going down the old Gravesend road,only to hear that the M2 was shut as well,really pissed off time I got home.
Dont even know what they're supposed to be doing on the A2 around Eltham / Falconwood
They had the lane closure from before the Eltham turn off when we played Accrington, yet looks like no work has actually been done - Now they've just shifted the lane closure down to the next bloody junction.
They appeared to be cleaning the lights from the other carriageway,so why they shut two lanes eastward who knows.
It hasn't taken long for Operation Brock to cause the usual havoc, M20 is a mess as is the M2. Traffic very bad in Maidstone as a result. Op Brock is meant to keep the traffic flowing, it does the exact opposite.
I travel out on the M20 in the mornings so am against the rush hour so to speak. Not a bad run if you can get out of Medway, which is a fucking ball ache any route.
Now when they coned off the outside lanes after Lenham a few weeks ago and the inevitable 50mph speed limit, it was still a pleasant enough drive just adding 10-15 minutes to Ashford. Bit of Radio X and a nose at the workmen digging holes and filling them in.
Now Brock. Life as they say is a shitter. If I had looked after my money more and not married a mental defective, at 59 I could be safely retired and out of the rat race. Then there is the diesel to twist your melon a bit tighter...
Life on the M20 beats 30 odd years on South Eastern though, be thankful for small mercies.
Operation Brock, the road management system designed to keep Kent moving. Unfortunately it does the opposite and transfers problems at Dover onto parts of the county far from the port. There has been a t least one accident or breakdown in the Brock area, every day since Brock was imposed last week,
I've not been down on the M20 past Maidstone recently but today had to see a client in Ashford. From the Services at J8 I passed lorry after lorry after lorry just sitting on the coast bound side whilst we motorists not heading for the Port were filing by on the opposite carriageway. The waste of manhours for those lorry drivers is just crazy. But that's not the worst of it..........
Glad I went down there this morning because this afternoon was utter carnage. Motorists not heading for the Port were now having to come off at J8 and (presumably) having to take the A20 down to Ashford etc. The cordoned off section that I used only hours before was like its counterpart on the coastbound side just heaving with lorries. The queues stretched all the way back to J6 - that must be almost 20 miles. Utter madness.
Now, is this to do with Brexit ? Covid ? The P&O situation ? Or all 3 ??
I've not been down on the M20 past Maidstone recently but today had to see a client in Ashford. From the Services at J8 I passed lorry after lorry after lorry just sitting on the coast bound side whilst we motorists not heading for the Port were filing by on the opposite carriageway. The waste of manhours for those lorry drivers is just crazy. But that's not the worst of it..........
Glad I went down there this morning because this afternoon was utter carnage. Motorists not heading for the Port were now having to come off at J8 and (presumably) having to take the A20 down to Ashford etc. The cordoned off section that I used only hours before was like its counterpart on the coastbound side just heaving with lorries. The queues stretched all the way back to J6 - that must be almost 20 miles. Utter madness.
Now, is this to do with Brexit ? Covid ? The P&O situation ? Or all 3 ??
Op Brock has caused problems every day since it was put back last week due to the P & O problems.
If there is an accident or a breakdown, there is nowhere to go and so it causes chaos. Operation Brock is billed as 'Keeping Kent Moving' however it does the exact opposite. It is the most ridiculous traffic management tool ever devised. It transfers the problems from the Port area to mid Kent which is the most traffic congested part of the county.
Looking at Google maps, Kent is a complete mess this evening, the M2 is also badly affected. The problem is that HGVs for Dover must use the M20 from junction 8, so that they join the Brock queue on the M20, if they try to avoid it by using the M2, they are turned back to use the M20.
This is the very confusing instruction for EU freight traffic on the National Highways website, no wonder our roads are such a mess, when someone can actually write something like this.
EU freight traffic should leave the M20 at the J8 exit slip road and rejoin the M20 via the entry slip road at J8.
The M20 is in an even bigger mess now, as it is closed coastbound from J8 to J11 for non freight traffic. It's unlikely to get any better for several more days.
The M20 is in an even bigger mess now, as it is closed coastbound from J8 to J11 for non freight traffic. It's unlikely to get any better for several more days.
So, going from Bearsted to Eurotunnel is A20 all the way ? Wonderful !
South East MEP and UKIP leader Nigel Farage has been celebrating victory for the leave camp
People in Kent have voted strongly in favour of leaving the European Union.
Over 970,000 people in the county cast a vote in the historic referendum, with 59% voting to leave and 41% to remain.
Tunbridge Wells was the county's only district that voted to stay in the EU, with 54.9% voting to remain and 45.1% to leave. Turnout there was 79%.
Local Conservative MP Greg Clark tweeted: "Now, as we negotiate with our European neighbours, we must show calm judgement and mutual respect."
Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Tonbridge and Malling, Gravesham, Maidstone, Medway, Sevenoaks, Shepway, Swale and Thanet all voted to leave, with Gravesham delivering the biggest vote at 65.4%.
The closest race was in Canterbury with 51% voting to leave and 49% to remain.
The current problem is more to do with the P & O ferries being out of action though no doubt the checks at the ports are taking longer than they used to before Brexit.
Comments
The Roadworks fairy made my journey back to darkest Essex almost impossible last night. Got to the M25 and the slip to the tunnel from the roundabout was shut. Went up to the 1a roundabout and again the slip shut. No signs. No diversions. Decided to head back to Swanley on M25 and turn back on myself thinking the road would be open over the A2. Wrong! Shut there also. So no way to get to the Tunnel in any direction!!
Had to head back to Blackwell.
Highways England are a f.ing joke!
As you say. Excelled themselves.
They had the lane closure from before the Eltham turn off when we played Accrington, yet looks like no work has actually been done - Now they've just shifted the lane closure down to the next bloody junction.
For a night game, if you are going back to Essex via Dartford Tunnel, I recommend this route, as it is usually fine - lots of parking on the industrial estate as well, with no restrictions etc - you can join Dartford Tunnel at the Littlebrook junction (1a)
Now when they coned off the outside lanes after Lenham a few weeks ago and the inevitable 50mph speed limit, it was still a pleasant enough drive just adding 10-15 minutes to Ashford. Bit of Radio X and a nose at the workmen digging holes and filling them in.
Now Brock. Life as they say is a shitter. If I had looked after my money more and not married a mental defective, at 59 I could be safely retired and out of the rat race. Then there is the diesel to twist your melon a bit tighter...
Life on the M20 beats 30 odd years on South Eastern though, be thankful for small mercies.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/seven-mile-m20-queues-264678/
I've not been down on the M20 past Maidstone recently but today had to see a client in Ashford. From the Services at J8 I passed lorry after lorry after lorry just sitting on the coast bound side whilst we motorists not heading for the Port were filing by on the opposite carriageway. The waste of manhours for those lorry drivers is just crazy. But that's not the worst of it..........
Glad I went down there this morning because this afternoon was utter carnage. Motorists not heading for the Port were now having to come off at J8 and (presumably) having to take the A20 down to Ashford etc. The cordoned off section that I used only hours before was like its counterpart on the coastbound side just heaving with lorries. The queues stretched all the way back to J6 - that must be almost 20 miles. Utter madness.
Now, is this to do with Brexit ? Covid ? The P&O situation ? Or all 3 ??
If there is an accident or a breakdown, there is nowhere to go and so it causes chaos. Operation Brock is billed as 'Keeping Kent Moving' however it does the exact opposite. It is the most ridiculous traffic management tool ever devised. It transfers the problems from the Port area to mid Kent which is the most traffic congested part of the county.
Kent's roads are a complete mess again tonight.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/m20-closed-amid-brock-chaos-265078/
EU freight traffic should leave the M20 at the J8 exit slip road and rejoin the M20 via the entry slip road at J8.
https://nationalhighways.co.uk/travel-updates/travel-alerts/m20-kent-coastbound-operation-brock-and-operation-tap-road-closed/
Kent overwhelmingly votes to leave the EU
IMAGE SOURCE, PA
South East MEP and UKIP leader Nigel Farage has been celebrating victory for the leave camp
People in Kent have voted strongly in favour of leaving the European Union.
Over 970,000 people in the county cast a vote in the historic referendum, with 59% voting to leave and 41% to remain.
Tunbridge Wells was the county's only district that voted to stay in the EU, with 54.9% voting to remain and 45.1% to leave. Turnout there was 79%.
Local Conservative MP Greg Clark tweeted: "Now, as we negotiate with our European neighbours, we must show calm judgement and mutual respect."
Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Tonbridge and Malling, Gravesham, Maidstone, Medway, Sevenoaks, Shepway, Swale and Thanet all voted to leave, with Gravesham delivering the biggest vote at 65.4%.
The closest race was in Canterbury with 51% voting to leave and 49% to remain.
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