Victoria Embankment and Lower Thames Street roadworks

[Garrison]

Has anyone driven from/to Tower Bridge north side and Big Ben in the last 3 weeks? Traffic has been horrendous with TfL building the Boris Bikes Lane extension. Single lane contraflow until December (at least, if not delayed).

Any alternative routes you have tried going East / West or vice versa? Cheers, G

[kfae8959]

The District Line follows that route, or cross the river and pick up the Jubilee line if you prefer newer track. But if you need to drive, the shortest and quickest route from east to west and back always used to be south of the river. Say, Tower Bridge, Tower Bridge Road, New Kent Road, St George's Road, and wiggle through to Westminster Bridge?

David

[Ancient]

Not sure why anyone would want to drive that route - what two and a half miles? Must be quicker ways...

[TheInsanity1234]

Not sure why anyone would want to try driving in London!

London is one of the few cities where I would prefer the public transport over a car.

[akirk]

yes a couple of weeks ago - not again until they finish!
however as I am generally heading from the city to glos, I can go up the faringdon road and out on the A40 / M40 instead...

alternatively would def. drop south of the river

Alasdair

[Garrison]

Not sure why anyone would want to drive that route - what two and a half miles? Must be quicker ways...

Not sure why anyone would want to try driving in London!

London is one of the few cities where I would prefer the public transport over a car.

Any good routes south of the river (or through city) if I set off from Oxford Circus area back to the north side of Tower Bridge? I am only a few minutes east from Tower Bridge north side.

Yes, it is only c. 4 miles each way. Unfortunately London public transport is rubbish at odd times.

I am usually in the office at around 0530-0545. The first DLR runs through Limehouse at 0532 and I often had a long wait at Bank due to the 9-min interval on the Central Line, resulting in me only getting into the office at c. 0615-0625, which is a bit late. I refuse to use night bus (takes too long) or the mini-cab (too costly) every morning.

The morning run in for me is 15-20 min. door to door. However, the evening run, leaving at c.1730-1800 has taken over an hour for the last 3 weeks.

[akirk]

I am not sure I can help - other than to suggest moving out of London?!
my commute is currently 5 seconds from bedroom to office - I am considering making it 10 times as long by putting a garden office into the end of the garden
admittedly I do ocassionally have a traffic delay if the dog gets in the way

Alasdair

[Garrison]

however as I am generally heading from the city to glos, I can go up the faringdon road and out on the A40 / M40 instead...

I did try cutting through to Clerkenwell, then Farringdon. My intention was to cut through to Guildhall, then the back of Leadenhall Market and then Great Tower Street to rejoin at Tower Hill after the roadworks.

However I got very lost around Smithfield and again after Guildhall ...

[jcochrane]

The District Line follows that route, or cross the river and pick up the Jubilee line if you prefer newer track. But if you need to drive, the shortest and quickest route from east to west and back always used to be south of the river. Say, Tower Bridge, Tower Bridge Road, New Kent Road, St George's Road, and wiggle through to Westminster Bridge?

David

That was the route I was thinking of. Used it a few days ago to try routing out through Catford and Beckenham to avoid particularly bad day with the routes via Brixton or Crystal Palace and worked quite well.

Garrison, I will have a word with a couple of colleques who drive Government Ministers around.

[Garrison]

Garrison, I will have a word with a couple of colleques who drive Government Ministers around.

Cheers, much appreciated.

[revian]

Garrison, I will have a word with a couple of colleques who drive Government Ministers around.

Cheers, much appreciated.

I suppose an armed escort would indeed help...

[gannet]

a bike is the answer I feel

32 miles today, 2 hours total, try that in a car (without blues and twos )

[christopherwk]

I would aim for Westminster Bridge. To avoid the traffic at the bottom of Regent Street and Piccadilly, you can go down Savile Row (which runs parallel to Regent Street), turn right onto Burlington Gardens, and left onto Old Bond Street, left and right on to Duke Street St. James's.

Don't chance going round Trafalgar Square, but go down Marlborough Road (by the side of St. James's Palace - you may appear you're going backwards, but it's generally quicker), then go up The Mall, and right onto Horse Guards. Left onto Birdcage Walk and onto Westminster Bridge.

From there is a fairly straight run down Borough Rd, Borough High St, and Long Lane, then left onto Tower Bridge Rd. However, you have the problem of St. George's Circus, as they're building another N to S Boris Bike lane, around there, and I think there's a lane or two drop around there. I haven't been down that way for a while, luckily work, tends to keep me to the west of town.

Other than that, the best way to find out is to take a London Taxi and see which way the driver goes.

[irf520]

From the Eastern end of Westminster Bridge, you could try the following:

Head towards Waterloo Station (Station Approach Rd)
right at mini rdbt -> Spur Rd
L Baylis Rd
F The Cut
R Short St
L Ufford St
R Blackfriars Rd
L Pocock St
L Sawyer St
R Copperfield St
R Great Guildford St
L Southwark Bridge Rd
R Marshalsea Rd
F Great Dover St
L Long Lane
L Weston St
R Leathermarket St
L Bermondsey St
R Tooley St
L Queen Elizabeth St
L Tower Bridge

I would give the Clerkenwell route another go - that was my first idea. Crossing the river is always a pain in the posterior, so generally avoided if possible. In my experience crossing Tower Bridge is generally painful - especially going North, as you seem to be held at the lights for a long time.
You say you got to Smithfield market, so I'm guessing you must have hit Charterhouse Street either from Holborn Circus or as a left from Farringdon Rd. From there
R Lindsey Street (first right immediately after the market)
L Long Lane
R Aldersgate Street
Fwd at roundabout (Aldersgate Rotunda)
Left into Gresham St
F Lothbury
R Bartholomew Lane (round the Bank of England)
L Threadneedle St
R Gracechurch St
L Fenchurch St
R Rood Lane (just after huge glass building)
L Great Tower St

[irf520]

One way to find a decent alternative might be to jump in a black cab and memorise the route that he takes?

Possibly, but doesn't always help - black cabs can use bus lanes, so a good route for them might not be good for you.