Have to go up to the smoke next week via the tunnel at about 10AM.
Know it is free for bikes; can I only use one of the attended lanes, or do sensors open the unattended barriers free of charge to bikes?
If there are queues (quite likely at 10AM !), is it accepted to overtake the cars/HGVs etc and cut in at the front or does this cause offence ?
Go in any of the attended lanes, you'll know by the picture above each one. They'll hold you for a split second then open the barrier for you. Don't use the car/auto pay lanes. They are unattended and the barrier wont open without payment. As far as ques go, I always filter up to near the front if its really busy. Those lanes are used by the hgv's, so finding a gap to slot in is fairly easy. They just put your hand up as a thanks to the poor bugger you just pushed in front of....never had an issue.
Went through yesterday, very busy so lots of filtering....Yes just filter through taking care to have your wits about you for idiots changing lanes with no regard of those behind!!
Can't remember the exact number of booth's but it's approx 25 & the right hand 6 or so are the auto booth's. HGV's tend to stay to the booth's to the left & also tend to be more considerate to bikes cutting in, but there are a lot of left hookers who will stop before the booth, get out to pay so take longer. The left hand bore is also the one that the escorted vehicles go through so yo can get held at the booth then be stuck behind the escort vehicle.
As long as you don't want the first exit use either bore, hang back to give your self room & give it large....tailgaters get kill switch backfire!
On the way back if you are going that way same rules apply on the bridge, just watch the wind! The road surface is a bit crap with lots of overbanding & cracks...Have fun.
Making up since 2007, sometimes it's true...Honest...
And going from Essex to Kent over the bridge, the toll booths count as a drag strip christmas tree.
Although it's a 60 limit up to where the A2 joins, over the top of the hill, the cameras don't seem to worry about going over that, so go for it!
But don't send a fine to me if you get caught; I've never had a problem and I've been doing this for years.
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
Trip to London went okay; gained a bit of useful info....the speed cameras on both the QE2 bridge and the northbound approach to the tunnel are now live in the 50mph sections!
Chatting to a friendly Highways Agency escort driver (900 FireGuard owner) he warned me that the cameras are the Specs type, that is they check your average speed over about 1 mile, so no good slowing down for them as too late by then ! He added they are only on the approaches to the crossing, not the exits.
See what you mean Tony, about the drag strip start !!
