Are busy Motorways back to normal ?

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Really not seeing this, am regular driving the M4 from either J8/9 or J13 to Bristol, often then jumping south on M5 and spending most of my time in the inside 2 lanes

yesterday I did over 300 miles, home to Bristol for 9am arrival, back to Ilford (M4 to M25, round to M11 and then down into London), then back home. Average speed, in a Toyota iQ was around 60mph without going past 75 (accelerating to clear traffic while cars approaching faster from behind)

dont remember the South being so easy to get places pre-lockdown
 
Judging by the amount of traffic coming off the M40 northbound at Junction 3 in the rush hour this afternoon, confirms my experience that traffic levels are still lighter during the week, and most drivers keep up a decent speed as well. On Saturday and Sunday, though, the Cloggers, Travelling Roadblocks and Spot The Brain Cell contestants were out in force - long queues in the right-hand lane travelling at 69.9 mph, even when the lane on the left was less busy and they were overtaking what there was in it at about 0.5 mph faster; busier than during the week.
 
I must have been lucky then last Saturday, hardly any traffic at all going north on the M6 / M74 from Carlisle up to the turn off for Ayr.

Before the 17th?

The traffic is building on the routes I use (M1, M6, M74, M40) over the last 8 weeks to the point where my average journey times have increased closer to the pre-Covid times.

It's not up to full levels yet. I think traffic is moving still moving better throughout the day.

One thing I did notice in April / May was as it started building the driving quality noticably dropped. People being rusty perhaps.

We're also seeing a transition in that a couple of months ago there were still hotels closed which impeded choice - this week lots of hotels sold out impeding choice. The people staying have transitioned from a population of contractors and business types to couples and families.
 
Before the 17th?

The traffic is building on the routes I use (M1, M6, M74, M40) over the last 8 weeks to the point where my average journey times have increased closer to the pre-Covid times.

It's not up to full levels yet. I think traffic is moving still moving better throughout the day.

One thing I did notice in April / May was as it started building the driving quality noticably dropped. People being rusty perhaps.

We're also seeing a transition in that a couple of months ago there were still hotels closed which impeded choice - this week lots of hotels sold out impeding choice. The people staying have transitioned from a population of contractors and business types to couples and families.
Yes before the 17th, are you suggesting my journey was in some way breaking a Scottish law?
 
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I’m travelling South on Friday ( a day I normally avoid at all costs) and was wondering if the roads are back to their normal traffic levels. I’m particularly looking at the M1 North and M42. Just wondering if our seasonEd travellers have noticed any difference over the last few weeks.
So, "how was it for you?"

I went up to the Peak District this week and thought the Motorways "quiet" because of a relative absence of passenger cars - commercial vehicles much the same as normal.

Came away with the impression that private drivers aren't out in force yet - except within the M25.

And, in the Peak district itself, it was very quiet, but that was partly the rain...
 
So, "how was it for you?"

I went up to the Peak District this week and thought the Motorways "quiet" because of a relative absence of passenger cars - commercial vehicles much the same as normal.

Came away with the impression that private drivers aren't out in force yet - except within the M25.

And, in the Peak district itself, it was very quiet, but that was partly the rain...
Friday was a hard drive, raining most of the way and heavy traffic on the M42 ( North bound was even worse ). The rest of the time it was busy but not unreasonably so. All in all about 6 hrs with a couple of stops for 270 miles.
I thought the sections of motorways that are now “smart” spread the traffic out quite well and certainly an improvement on 3 lanes though I get the concerns about breaking down.
The number of people who view lane 3 as the new middle lane is annoying
 
M62 eastbound juntion 24 closed yesterday due to accident was stuck on it till 20,00hrs from 18,30hrs it was very busy on the way up aswell (Liverpool)
 
Nope.

Just suggesting it was before traffic volumes started ramping up by another step.
The M74 has to rank as one of the nicest stretches of motorway meandering its way up into Scotland, although i have never been on it when very busy.
 
The M74 has to rank as one of the nicest stretches of motorway meandering its way up into Scotland, although i have never been on it when very busy.

Add a bit of snow on the hills or some low evening light and it's something special.....

But also very poignant in that heading north after Lancaster the population and settlements drop off and you basically have long stretches of the M6 and M74 that feel remote and scenic before - it rams home just how far Central Scotland and its conurbation are from the nearest equivalent areas in England - basically almost 3 hours going down the west side.
 
I went to pick up my eldest daughter from South Gloucester on Friday and it was a really bad drive. I go M25, M3 and M4 which is usually 2 hours and 10 minutes. Took me 3 hours on Friday and the usual Fridays have been maybe ten minutes longer.

May have been the rain bringing everyone out to shield their love ones as no one seems to be able to get a bit wet! haha
 
Courtesy of a new job in February where I was deemed essential for travel, I’ve gone from barely doing 3000 miles in previous 12 months to doing 6000 miles in 3 months, mostly “patrolling” the M4 and M5 (not literally!). Traffic in February seemed almost non-existent while we were still in full lockdown

Still not seeing traffic at old levels, last Monday I was in Bristol, travelled to Ilford, just over 150 miles using M4, M25, M11. Did the journey in my Toyota iQ CVT, cruised at a steady 70mph and even with getting off the M25 for a fuel stop, did the journey in 2.75 hours.

the thought of doing that at the start of the journey never came into my head, in the old days I would have expected jams, heavy traffic etc all along the way

Journey back home to Bucks was also similarly easy

my main indicators at the moment are going into High Wycombe to get to the M40, still breezing in unhindered even this week, or coming back from M4 to M40 where the queues used to be 1/2 mile, now it’s 2 or 3 cars only

IMHO people might be clogging up the towns and the driving standards are unbelievably poor, do people really forget how to drive? But travelling far, and thus using motorways, is still some way down on normal levels
 
Travelling to Heathrow from Beaconsfield (M40, M25) yesterday having left at 12:35, and just after J16 anticlockwise on the M25 there was a five-minute crawling queue in heavy traffic. I do that journey regularly at that time, and I haven't seen that queue in over a year.

Maybe lockdown wasn't entirely bad...
 
Yes the Motorways are back to normal. I had to go south on the M6 today and it was full of feckin clowns, caravans, dodgy bike carriers and all manner of other nonsense style driving. What is all this not using the nearside lane all about, the Highway Code is pretty clear and states...............Keep left except when overtaking. I wonder if it's only printed English or are other languages available ? That said if you don't read it the pages may as well be blank.
 
Yep, near the Dartford bridge traffic appears to be worse than before COVID.
 
Let’s not forget that this is the tail end of
Bank Holiday / half term week, Chaps.

And, for those of us going South from Durham to London tomorrow, as I will be, there’s the added bonus that Kings Cross and most of the East Coast Rail Network is “shut” this weekend for repairs and renovation.

Major rail problems for York travellers this weekend

Lockdown is over but traffic isn’t back to normal yet. Not by a long way.
 
First time on Saturday I had to queue at the Dartford tunnel crossing (M25) in ages. I’ve forgotten how annoying it is.
 

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