A question for all you seasoned road-munchers. I am traveling perforce from the civilised north (Durham) to the diseased wastelands of the south (Midhurst). What I'm wondering is whether I'm likely to be better to take the M1 or the A1? The A1 appears to be a more direct route, but I have no idea whether it's likely to be more or less congested during early evening to night-time on a friday. Any particular areas favoured by gatso salesmen or bobbies with hairdriers?
Advice welcome!
I'd use the M1.
The A1 is roundabout city in places, so your average speed will be significantly lower.
The M1 is roadwork and retard city. The A1 is being de-roundabouted progressively and is far better than it was only a year ago.
Good point.
The stretch from Peterboghorror to Stevenage-ish is a nightmare for roundabouts.
Many of the A1 roundabouts have gone. Definitely more fun than the M1, and going south on friday night will be rather better than joining the hordes going north (memories of the now-defunct Norman Cross junction here...)
OTOH Midhurst is SW of London so the M1 wins doesn't it?
There's only about half a dozen. In an artic going to J22, M25, there's only 5 minutes in it assuming a clear run on both which is rare on the M1.
No. Takes 5 or so minutes to get from J23 to J21A.
Well, it's not "either/or" you're going to have to use both the A1 and the M1. A1 to the M18, M18 to the M1, M1 to the M25, M25 to the A3, A3 to the A286. As you pass through Brook, Haslemere, Fernhurst and Midhurst you'll have plenty of time to reflect on what a shithole Durham is compared to where you find yourself.
All of it.
Road surface is also crap on the stretch from Peterborough to the A14. I certainly wouldn't go that way if it's raining.
That would be an Artic limited to 56mph. There's a bigger advantage going down the M1 in a car.
Since when? Certainly not in the 15 years I've been going down it, both on the original DC and the 4 lane section both during and after it was built.
You sure? Takes me an age to get back up to speed on those roundabouts on the A1 and you're not going to go any quicker through the M1 roadworks.
Oh have they started on that nonsense again? I stopped my weekly commute to Cleveland in November. but yes, I found the A1/M18/M1 to be way faster than the A1 all the way. It depends on the exact time of day on a Friday though. Usually I couldn't get away from work before 7PM.
Since the 4 lane was built. It doesn't drain.
If you're talking about doing that route in the truck then probably your eyeline is above the spray. Doing it in a car, if there's rain then visibility is apalling, and if they light up the matrix signs you can add dazzle to the list of problems. And the surface feels crap in most cars, horrible compared to asphalt.
My first thoughts were A1 to Alconbury, A14/M11/M25 Dartford/M23, then cross-country via Horsham and Billingshurst, but a quick check reveals it to be longer than the other way (via A3, coming off at Milford to avoid Hindhead) by about 30 miles, and there's a toll, so probably not worth it in that respect. And the Heathrow stretch of the M25 really isn't that bad off-peak. Though it does avoid the Sandy section of the A1.
Or you could just go straight down the A414/A405 from the A1M to J21A, which cuts off a worthwhile bit of distance. Or turn off the A414 almost straight away, and take a nice little drive through the village Colney Heath which ends you up at J22. Much more chilled out and less roundabouted, and barely any longer.
Yeah - but the spray obscures your number plates...
Yes. Pretty much the same time they were lifting the roadworks at J31-
32, they were opening them up at J27-26.
Fair enough. It's mostly been in t'wagon and when in the car, it's been fine as it's mostly in summer.
You could but it's shit. As for Colney Heath, I'm well acquainted with it as it was my destination for the night trunks down there.
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