Is there a motorway junction worse than M1 J31

[didihearthatright123456]

I absolutely bloody hate it, it's so dangerous. You get on and then immediately have to cross 2 lanes if you don't want to go down the M18, then cars already on the M1 are looking to cross into the left lanes to exit the M18, so you get this criss crossing mayhem that always gives me a squeaky bum. It's surely got to be one of the most poorly thought out junctions in the UK

Any challenges out there who can beat it???

@VirgilStarkwell

Did somebody says favourite service station tho?

There’s one at Tebay with an amazing farm shop and café.

I like the Gloucester one! Always stop there if we’re driving down the M5.

Gloucester services, VirgilStarkwell. 😉

Ooh just had a look at Gloucester services on google maps. It looks like the buildings are underground with grass on top!

INNOVATIVE (said in Vic Reeves as Lloyd Grossman voice).

I can never understand why the M1 doesn't join on to the M25 properly in either direction. You literally have to get off the M25, go round a roundabout, queue at traffic lights and then go up next to a housing estate to join the M1 . It would have been so easy to incorporate a proper interchange when they were building the M25. The M25 is so busy that people just queue to get off at the junction and join the roundabout, causing jams on the M25.
I agree with a PP about the M42, M5, M6 motorways that form a circle around the West Midlands. You literally follow signs for the NW if you actually want to go to London from the M5 and its the same all around it.

Pleased to see I'm not alone in my dislike of the almondsbury interchange!

@BeQuietBrenda

Junction 12 where you merge into the M60 from the M62 . Its bad drivers mainly, but it's quite a short slip road and then those already on the M60 who want to come off at J13 try to get across to the left hand lane whilst the merging traffic is also trying to access the same lane. Added to this the lanes are very narrow. It's horrible.

Yeah, horrible and quite a bit scary. I dread it.

Any of the middle junctions of the Mancunian Way. Far too many junctions too close to one another, so people don't want to leave the left lane to let traffic merge on, and are looking to leave into the same stream of traffic that trying to merge. It's like Wacky Races.

Manchester - all motorway junctions round Manchester are insane !

Gloucester services are really lovely

I concede that I was incorrect. Just had another look at the website: it doesn't specify a date. Back in June, when we were being warned about it, they seemed to be working on the principle that it would be similar to the T charge in London (an add on to the congestion charge, also related to clean air). This affected* cars manufactured in 2004 and prior: it's to do with them meeting a different European standard emissions wise. It seems that the same principle has not been applied to the Second City. A few of us have been led to believe the 2004 date.

*At least it did as of 2017. Not sure about now.

My husband has been driving for almost two decades but I'm still only learning (my epilepsy is FINALLY under control). It is all very new to me at the moment.

Incidentally, if you want to check if your own vehicle will be liable for the Clean Air Charge in Bath, Birmingham or Portsmouth, you can do so here: vehiclecheck.drive-clean-air-zone.service.gov.uk/vehicle_checkers/enter_details

There’s part of the A1 going north which is odd. You’ve been on the a1 for ever but then you seem to join a different north bound a1…..no idea where it comes from. So you’re in the left hand lane and suddenly need to move across otherwise you go down the a64. And there’s loads of people in the right lanes trying to go left onto the a64. I’m normally towing a caravan and it’s exciting.

Also the dart Ford bridge when towing a caravan and stupidly because you’ve never been before go to the far right booth and then realise you need the exit very soon after the booths and it’s like Mario Kart and you have to turn left across about 16 lanes of traffic. Also towing a caravan!

I loathe the interchange between the m25 and a12 - really hard to know what lane to be in and then everyone seems to be in the wrong one and crossing lanes.

The whole a 12 is awful though. Just seems to attract mad drivers.

If you contrast the a12 interchange with the m25/ m11 though it’s so much clearer and the road lay out just takes you in the right direction…

@AutistGoth

The Aston Expressway. Catapults you from Spaghetti Junction to right into Birmingham city centre. End of motorway regulations, just like that.

It isn't called the Aston Distressway for nothing.

no one calls it that!

Joining the M61 from the M60 - you’ve to join in the outside lane then get across to the inside lanes sharpish if you’re staying on the motorway - which idiot thought that was a good idea? Hate it.

@CovidCorvid it's the M1 meeting the A1. Yes . . . Makes absolutely no sense!

The signage leaving Birmingham on M42 is indeed, a choice between THE NORTH WEST (go right) and THE NORTH (go left) when I am heading for the East Midlands. It’s batshit crazy

I get confused here a lot. To get to the M1 north, ie Nottingham and up, at one point you have to follow a sign that says 'The South'. The saving grace is that if you're going somewhere like Leeds, you can actually get there by going up the M6 North and then M62 East, and it's actually a shorter journey depending on where in Leeds you want to end up.

Of course, you'd be utterly mad to go up the M6 and round the M60 by choice as it's almost always quicker to go the M42/M1 even if it's slightly further.

DD recently had to navigate the M6 J7 Northbound with the "help" of google maps. She got very lost and by the time I met up with her she needed a hug and a good cry!

oh and don't get me started on "smart" motorways! We recently had a blowout on the M5, middle lane doing 70mph and on Friday afternoon rush hour. Thank the lord there was a hard shoulder so we could get our 2 year old twins out.

Hate smart motorways. I think they're terrifying.

The M4/M5 junction, it hits you very suddenly and you have little time to get in lane.

Not a motorway but I can’t put into words how much I hate the Denton interchange at Manchester! and there’s a KFC on it which I wanted to go to once for a quick bite to eat and mainly to pee but that has its own map on the interchange how to get into it so didn’t bother! Those of you who do it regularly the only question i have is how 🤷‍♀️

M1 J21 surely? The M1 meets the M69 meets Fosse Park meets the Leicester ring Road. Basically if there's any sort of traffic within 356 miles or something that junction is at a standstill.

M6 J7. Hideous! I have to dive it multiple times every day abs have it down to a fine art not but it is so bad! You need eyes in the back of your head.

I agree with pp about J43 of the M1 where traffic from the M621 drives across the path of cars heading north of Leeds. I hate it

Another vote for the M4/M5/A38 Almondsbury Interchange. Used to commute East Bristol down to Weston-Super-Mare everyday. No one knows what lane to be in, some bits you have to cross 5 lanes of traffic to get in the correct lane.
Felt like there was a crash there every few days.