Just thought I'd chuck this in the London group as well.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of driving from Enfield to Putney in the rush
hour (leaving NE Enfield - near Freezy Water, at 5:35pm).

I cut across a few local roads, and across the level crossing at Enfield
Lock station, and down the A1055 (Mollison Avenue / Meridian Way) to the
North Circular, which wasn't too bad. Then around the North Circular to
the
A13, and then along there, along Aspen Way / Limehouse Link, up the
Highway,
over Tower Bridge, around through Lambeth (out of Congestion charging
hours), out on the Embankment, then along Lots Road, up Kings Road and up
to
Putney Bridge. Well, in the end I got fed up with King's Road and cut up
to
Fulham Broadway, and went along the Fulham Road, but I doubt this made all
that much difference to tell the truth.

Anyway, it was all flowing fine all the way up to the Canning Town
flyover,
where it all ground to a halt, with traffic joining from the Woolwich
Ferry.
Took a while to get over there, and then the Highway was slow all the way
to
Tower Bridge, though the bridge itself wasn't too bad. Then it was fine
along the Embankment, and then Kings Road was very slow (and that was
joining it at 1930!) - overall I got to Putney (Lower Richmond Road) at
about 1945.

Would I have been better off going another way? As far as I see it the
only
real alternatives would have been M25 to the M4, M25 to the M40, then A40,
then A3220 down towards Chelsea etc., or A406 anticlockwise towards the
A40,
then A40 into town and A3220. I can't see how any of these would have
been
any quicker - just wondering what people's ideas were?

Cheers,

Peter

"AstraVanMan" wrote in message
...

at Enfield Lock station, and down the A1055
(Mollison Avenue / Meridian Way) to the North Circular,
which wasn't too bad. Then around the North Circular to
the A13,

Bzzzt! Perhaps you are using an old map... there is now a grade-separated
dual carriageway from Redbridge to Poplar called the A12. It is much faster
than the route you took, especially since there is a plethora of road works
on the A13 between Poplar and Dagenham.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

"AstraVanMan" wrote in message
...
Just thought I'd chuck this in the London group as well.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of driving from Enfield to Putney in the
rush
hour (leaving NE Enfield - near Freezy Water, at 5:35pm).

Wouldn't the A10 southbound into The City then right at the bottom of
Gracechurch St. (just before London Bridge, can you do a right turn there?
If not right down Threadneedle Street) ending up along the Embankment and
doing a right somewhere around Putney Bridge have been easier?

"John Rowland" wrote in message ...
"AstraVanMan" wrote in message
...

at Enfield Lock station, and down the A1055
(Mollison Avenue / Meridian Way) to the North Circular,
which wasn't too bad. Then around the North Circular to
the A13,

Bzzzt! Perhaps you are using an old map... there is now a grade-separated
dual carriageway from Redbridge to Poplar called the A12. It is much faster
than the route you took, especially since there is a plethora of road works
on the A13 between Poplar and Dagenham.

I'd have gone down the A10 to West Green Road and down towards
Finsbury Park, down to Camden Town, round Regent's Park to Baker
Street tube, right onto the A40, down the Westway to Shepherd's Bush,
then Hammersmith etc...

Out of rush hour this takes less than an hour...

at Enfield Lock station, and down the A1055
(Mollison Avenue / Meridian Way) to the North Circular,
which wasn't too bad. Then around the North Circular to
the A13,

Bzzzt! Perhaps you are using an old map... there is now a grade-separated
dual carriageway from Redbridge to Poplar called the A12. It is much
faster
than the route you took, especially since there is a plethora of road
works
on the A13 between Poplar and Dagenham.

Yes, and out of rush hour it's fine, but when I passed the junction the
queues to get off the North Circular onto the A12 were very long (couldn't
say how long, but at least half a mile), plus the massive queues approaching
the Blackwall Tunnel (according to the traffic reports they were tailing
back to Old Ford at that point), then I considered the route I took to be
the lesser of two evils.

I did the same journey a few days back, earlier on in the day, and was a bit
worried about the queuing onto the A12, but risked it anyway, it was fine -
not more than about 5-6 cars in each lane.

I did wonder though, if it might be a worthwhile shortcut to come off the
North Circular at Waterworks Corner onto the A104 Woodford New Road / Lea
Bridge Road, and then along A114 Whipps Cross Road to join the A12 at the
Green Man roundabout - does anyone know what this is like in the evening
rush hour?

And FWIW, the only major queuing I encountered on the A13 was going over the
Canning Town flyover, which was presumably mainly due to queuing for the
Blackwall Tunnel, combined with the fact that the East India Dock Tunnel is
closed.

Peter

"AstraVanMan" wrote in message
...

I did wonder though, if it might be a worthwhile shortcut to come off the
North Circular at Waterworks Corner onto the A104 Woodford New Road / Lea
Bridge Road, and then along A114 Whipps Cross Road to join the A12 at the
Green Man roundabout - does anyone know what this is like in the evening
rush hour?

It can be pretty dire. Avoid all day Saturday as the tailbacks going into
Leytonstone often block the roundabout.

Personally, I'd go Enfield Lock - Tottenham Hale - Victoria - Putney
Bridge 1 hour 1 minute.

--
Steve
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On Fri, 12 Sep 2003 20:39:38 GMT, Steve wrote:

Personally, I'd go Enfield Lock - Tottenham Hale - Victoria - Putney
Bridge 1 hour 1 minute.

By train (note I'm reading this in uk.transport.london) wouldn't it
make more sense to stay on the Victoria Line to Vauxhall, then go to
Putney by South West Trains.

Driving, I'd be inclined to skirt London to the west and go through
Cricklewood - All Souls Avenue - White City, then onto the A3220, down
North End Road and Fulham Road to Putney Bridge. (You could cross
Wandsworth Bridge and go along Putney Bridge Road as an alternative
but I don't think there's anything in it in terms of likelihood of
hitting jams).

To get from Enfield to Cricklewood either go round the North Circular
anti-clockwise to Henly's Corner, then go through Temple Fortune and
Golders Green, or take the M25 anti-clockwise to South Mimms and then
take the A1 and the A41. The M25 approach adds some miles but would
probably be quicker than relying on the North Circular

Martin

In article ,
Robin Mayes wrote:
It can be pretty dire. Avoid all day Saturday as the tailbacks going into
Leytonstone often block the roundabout.

I went from Balham to Enfield to pick up some secondhand doors for the SD1
on a Saturday. I didn't know the best route so went the 'direct' way
through the city and then north through Tottenham. Left Balham at 12.30
and got back about 6.30, this time using the North Circular to Hanger
Lane. Could have easily got to Edinburgh by then.

--
*I almost had a psychic girlfriend but she left me before we met *

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

It can be pretty dire. Avoid all day Saturday as the tailbacks going
into
Leytonstone often block the roundabout.

I went from Balham to Enfield to pick up some secondhand doors for the SD1
on a Saturday. I didn't know the best route so went the 'direct' way
through the city and then north through Tottenham. Left Balham at 12.30
and got back about 6.30, this time using the North Circular to Hanger
Lane. Could have easily got to Edinburgh by then.

That was using the A406 on the way back then, was it? Absolute PITA, that
section. I've pretty much got it sorted as far as avoiding the bad bits - I
normally get off just before the Clockhouse Junction, then cut across Green
Lanes, up to Bounds Green Road, back on the NCR there, and off onto the
A1000, and then through East Finchley, Hampstead Garden Suburb, and Temple
Fortune, before getting back on just after the A1 junction. Hence why I go
the other way. Not completely sure of traffic flows around Docklands on a
Saturday, but can't imagine it'd be too bad - I reckon the best way would be
A24/A3 to the Elehpant and Castle, around to Tower Bridge, then up the
Highway, Limehouse Link/Aspen Way, then A12 / A406.

Peter