Driving on m25 (Surrey/Essex)

[newskoda]

Hello

I live in the Medway kent area and current work in Bexleyheath which takes me about 90minutes (I drive) to get to in the morning from M2/A2. main hold ups are at fossington way in Chatham and along the Gravesend A2 sections. Going back the other way in the evenings is usually not so bad. I'm currently looking for a new job but widened my search radius to include Surrey (as far as Redhill,leatherhead) and Essex(up as far as Chelmsford). I have no intention of relocating as quite settled in Medway and house prices are cheap. I'm getting frustrated by the annoyingly long drive to bexley!! what has happened to our country. I remember a time when it would take 1 hour to drive from Orpington in Kent to Enfield(London) going through the dartford crossing at around 5:30pm. And that was only 15 years ago. I don't really want to look further afield in Surrey/Essex for jobs but needs must. There's not enough jobs in Kent in my line of work.

 

Would like to hear from people who drive around these areas, what they think of the traffic etc (M25 surrey/essex)? what time is best to leave?

[VWD]

Good few years ago, I asked my neice( who lived in Medway) about speed cameras on M25. Her reply- they have them, but - speed on the M25- you should get an award ,for finding space.

[moley]

Sixteen years ago when I started my own business I would aim to be off of the M25 by 7.00 am now I like to be off nearer 6.00 am. Whenever I'm travelling towards Datford or Maidstone in a morning on the M25 anticlockwise the traffic always appears to be queuing around Clacket Lane towards J6 in the clockwise direction.

[Ju1ian1001]

I few years ago i used to work in Tonbridge (i live in Eltham, south east london) so used to travel along the A2/M25/A21, didn't have be in work untill 8 in the morning but used to leave at 5.30 am just to miss the traffic, coming back was easy as there was never any traffic. It was only 35 miles each way, leave late and i was stuck on the M25 for aleast an hour and a half.

 

I now work 3 miles away from home in charlton, i never touch the A2 towards blackwall tunnel as the traffic is always bad, go through the back roads and it take's me 12 minutes, no more 5.30 in the morning starts; can now stay in in bed till 7.

[gadgetman]

Surrey would be a much longer commute even on a good day. Regularly screwed up on that stretch, so probably out of the frying pan commute wise